The Stranger Within
by HunterofArtemis32
Summary: We used to be best friends before one summer night changed everything. He changed drastically; he wasn't the person I knew. He betrayed me, he turned his back when I needed him most. So you're probably wondering why I'm standing in front of a gang leader, who he happened to be. Oh, that's right; I'm in love with him. [COMPLETED]
1. Chapter 1

**Hi everyone :)**

**I am on Christmas Break and I slept in really late this morning. It was almost lunch time by the time my mom called me. Ok, this is a new story that I have been planning for a while but now am just getting it set up on FanFiction. **

**Two things: one; I've never been in a gang, so I don't if some of these rules or things they do is correct. And two; ENJOY IT!**

"Can I ask you something?" the dark-haired boy asked in front of me. "And can you answer as honestly as possible?"

I looked up from the textbook that was in front of me and stared into his sea green eyes. "It depends on the question, but go ahead."

"If I wasn't a gang leader..."

I leaned closer, waiting for the rest. "Uh-uh?"

"... would you date me?"

"Why would you like to know?" I asked.

His eyes focused on mine. "Annabeth," he began. "Just answer."

"I-I..." I hesitated. "I don't know."

"You're hesitating because you're afraid to admit it."

I was taken by surprise. "Admit what?"

"That you have feelings for me."

I was about to open my mouth to speak, but I couldn't speak as my eyes stared into his. Those sea green orbs have mysteries that he didn't show, hidden behind the soft color of his eyes. He lifted his hand and let it rest of my cheek.

His thumb ran over my skin. "Gosh, you're so beautiful."

The black-haired, green-eyed gang leader that sat in front of me leaned forward and I could feel his hot breath on my lips. I, slowly but cautiously, leaned in too and before I knew it, my lips were captured with his.

Now, you're probably wondering- WHY IN THE WORLD WOULD YOU KISS HIM? The answer to that is; read on. Let's go back about a month ago, when it all began. The first day of senior year.

**PAGE BREAK**

"Ugh, where did the time go?" I asked, leaning against my new locker for the new school year. "I mean, just yesterday, I was happy about getting out of this place, and now look? We're all back again for another round."

My best friend, Katie Gardner, opened her locker and sighed. "I know. I wish summer didn't end so quickly either. I was going to go to California, but no, we had to start school earlier this year."

"I was looking forward to going to Washington D.C. for that monument study and architecture course for two weeks."

"Why would you plan that right before school? Didn't you have come back the weekend when school was ORIGINALLY supposed to start?" Katie yelled loudly.

I gave a small laugh. "Yeah, but it's ruined now. I had to give it to Malcolm instead."

"I don't get how you two can be so obsessed with architecture. It's just a bunch of squares and numbers."

"No, it's not. It takes a good amount of skill to realize the monument's area and perimeter. You have to know the exact length, or close to it enough to know the difference."

Katie blinked. "You lost me at 'no, it's not'."

We were then distracted by the sound of texting keys and clanking heels. Katie and I turned to see the popular group making their way through the halls. Stacie and her minions were in their usual outfit; skirt and shirt that were way too tight. The lead girl, Stacie smiled at something behind me and started playing with hair. I looked over and saw the school's baddest student in the entire school industry.

Percy Jackson.

He ran New York's scariest gang. His second in command, Nico, who I actually got along with was his cousin. Percy wasn't really intimidating at first, but if he could if he really wanted to. The thought brought back a time in freshman year when we were partners in Algebra. He wanted my answers to the classwork. I told him no. We got at it for a while before we started yelling at each other and the teacher brought us both up to the principal.

Katie scoffed behind me, catching my attention. "I hate this part of the new school year."

"Tell me about it," I agreed, glancing back to where he stood.

Percy had jet black hair; bangs covering his devious eyes. He usually wore dark jeans and t-shirts with his leather jacket. The one thing that I actually liked about him was his eyes. They were sea green, reminding me of the beach water in San Francisco, where I used to live before I moved here when I was child.

Other than that, I did not like him at all.

He would drink almost every weekend. He would smoke cigarettes on school property. Only God knows what he was doing these past three months of non-school activities. Katie and I turned around to finish putting things in our lockers. She closed hers and looked over to where the gang members were standing.

"I hate to say it, but he looks really, _really_ good this year."

I slammed my locker shut and looked over at her. "Are you blind?"

"No. I have 20-20 vision," Katie smirked, crossing her arms above her chest.

I rolled my eyes. "Then you may want to get it checked again."

"Come on, Annie! Percy has gotten hotter this summer, hasn't he?"

"Do not call me Annie," I threatened.

She held her hands up. "All right, but take a good glance at him and I'll stop."

"You know, I could wind your little chicken neck up and make it into a frying pan really easily."

Katie smiled. "I love your death threats. You are just so original."

I grumbled, "Yeah, yeah, whatever."

"Now, look over and tell me he did not get cuter this summer."

I sighed and glanced over to where Percy was standing. He was leaning against the lockers on the other side of the hall, with Stacie running her hands up his arms. I was about to be sick. I turned around and looked at Katie.

"There. Done. Happy?"

She eyed me. "You were looking at the two of them. Just look at him. I can tell he was working out this summer by just focusing on him."

I looked over again and kept my eyes only on him. Wow. Katie was right. He was fitter than before. His black hair was un-tamed like it used to be and the bangs were covering his eyes. Percy was wearing dark jeans, black vans, and a white v-neck that showed that he had been working out this summer. I took a deep breath. I leaned my head to the left to look at Katie.

"Fine. Your 20-20 vision was correct," I said through gritted teeth.

Katie laughed. "I knew it."

"But he's not hot. He's cute, but there's a lot more guys that are way better good-looking than he is," I informed her.

"All right."

She turned around to walk to our first period and I glanced back towards Percy. He looked up at the exact moment I did and our eyes met. A smirk broke out onto his lips and I felt the urgency to roll my eyes and walk away, but then again, I didn't. His sea green eyes locked with mine for a few seconds before he looked away to look at Stacie, who was messing with the hem of his shirt.

I shook my head, rolled my eyes, and walked towards first period. It was the first day of senior year and I'm already annoyed. Great.

**PERCY'S POV:**

I leaned against my locker after Stacie and her wanna-be's (as Nico likes to call them) walked off in a different direction. Nico, my cousin, was standing next to me flirting with a new red-head that seem interested in him. I let my tongue mess with the tooth-pick that was in my mouth, swerving it around.

"Hey, man," Nico called out after his new 'target' walked away. "She agreed to go out with me for this Friday night. It's already eight a.m. and I'm already in the zone."

I chuckled and leaned my head against the locker. "Calm down, little dude. It's just the beginning of senior year. There's plenty more to come around."

"Like that blonde you were checking out earlier," he said.

"That blonde was Annabeth Chase, the smartest student this school's has ever known since her brother, Malcolm, was it, left to go to his grand college. And I was not checking her out!"

Nico raised an eyebrow. "Did you know her brother before?"

"Let's just say, I've had some conflicts with him before," I ruffled his hair as I closed my eyes, lifting my head up towards the ceiling.

Nico hit me on the shoulder and hissed, "Teacher coming our way!"

I opened my eyes and glanced over to where the teacher was. It was our math teacher, Ms. Dodds who hates me dearly. She walked over to us, snapping her fingers to get into our first period class. I had her class first. It was torture. Nico told me bye and walked to where his class was located.

I followed Ms. Dodds into first period, taking a seat next to some nerd. She wrote her name on the board, writing down today's lesson along with it. The teacher sat down the marker and grabbed a sheet of paper.

"Don't get too comfortable in your seats. I'll be placing you in permanent seats for the entire year. There will be no changing, no exceptions," Ms. Dodds called out names after she was done. I sat there in my seat, waiting to be moved.

"Percy Jackson..." everyone stiffed at the sound of my name. "...will be sitting next to..." she looked around the room. "... to _Annabeth Chase_."

I didn't move a muscle. I didn't breathe.

Not her. Please, not her.

Let it be a mistake.

Everyone in the entire class made a noise.

I looked behind me to see her, Annabeth Chase, glaring at me in a way that made my skin boil. I gritted my teeth while grabbing my books and walking in her direction. I sat next to her, keeping a distance from her.

**ANNABETH'S POV:**

Out of all the people, why did my math partner for the whole year have to be him?

I glanced over at him, watching him move in his seat to keep his distance away from me.

Ms. Dodds went on about the rules just like last year. I didn't pay attention though because of a certain gang leader next to me. It wasn't like he freaked me out or anything. Sometimes he could, not most of the time. Most of the time we would be face to face, yanking each other's throats out.

That wasn't how it used to be though.

We used to be best friends... just one summer changed him and changed his ways. He became part of a gang. He started drinking and smoking. He bailed on his friends, including me. He started to make rumors about me, spreading them around like an illness. I always wondered what happened to the nice inside him. The boy he used to be.

The rumors, the betrayel, everything probably wouldn't have hurt me as bad as they did...

If only I wasn't in love with him.

**How is that for an introduction?**

**I'm not giving anything away from me telling you guys she was in love with him. It's how the story is suppose to go. **

**Did you like the little small prologue in the beginning? **

**I want to know your thoughts on this. It's something brand new, something I've been working on for a while. **

**-HunterofArtemis32**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello everybody :D It's been a while since I updated this. **

**First things first, I'm sorry that I haven't updated in over a month. I've been busy and life has been hectic, but every once in a while, you get stuck on a rollercoaster. Now, I'm back on track. I may only be able to update at least ONCE a month, until summer comes along. I'm sorry it has to be that long, but summer is only four months away and that means writing!**

**Okie dokie then, let's move on to the story. I was surprised to see that everyone seem to like it AND I got thirty reviews on the first chapter! I was amazed to see that so many people enjoyed it. I repeated myself. Oops.**

**Thank you for choosing HunterofArtemis32. I hope you enjoy the second chapter :)**

**ANNABETH'S POV:**

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I was in love with Percy Jackson.

I may be weird and stupid to be in love with him, but I just couldn't help it. Trust me, I wanted to stop those feelings. I really wanted to, but... when I finally admitted it to myself that I loved him, it was like my brain and heart was relieved that they didn't have to fight with me anymore.

The reasons?

Well, here's a few: the way he smirked when he was right or tricks your words into saying something he wants to hear. The way he would grin whenever he was happy. The way his jet black hair was always messy. And the way he could make me weak in the knees with his sea green eyes that reminded me of the beach when the sun came up.

But the thing is, I'm never letting myself be with him.

Why?

The answer: he's dangerous, a bully, and a gang leader who could easily break your heart in the matter of seconds. Why would I want to put myself through that?

I wasn't paying attention to what Ms. Dodds was teaching, so when she called my name the billionth time, Percy flicked me in the arm, getting my attention.

"What?" I snapped at him. The top of his upper lip hitched up.

Ms. Dodds cleared her throat. "Miss Chase, would you like to share with the class what was so important that you, out of all people, would day-dream during this period?"

I heard Percy snicker beside me. I fought the urge to kick him in the shin. I licked my lips, trying to figure out a good explanation. Ms. Dodds stood at her desk with her arms crossed above her chest, tapping her foot impatiently.

"Um, well, I was-" I glanced at the board that had the math problem. Algebra. "I was thinking of a solution how to solve that problem."

"Miss Chase, if you were paying attention, you would know that I haven't even got to the problem of the day yet. I just got on what kind of projects we were going to be doing for the first semester," she explained, her eyes meeting mine from the other side of the room.

I bit my lip. Percy continued to snicker. I gritted my teeth. "It won't happen again, Ms. Dodds. I'm sorry."

"Well, since it is the first day and you were my top student last year, I guess you shall not be in trouble. Just don't make it happen again," Ms. Dodds warned.

I smiled. "Of course."

Percy whispered, only loud enough for me to hear. "Teacher's pet."

I had to use all my strength to not punch him in the jaw right then.

**LINE...BREAK...**

When the bell rang, I was finishing the last problem she gave us for a pop quiz. Yeah, I know, pop quizzes on the first day? That's Ms. Dodds for you. On the way out, I was pushed into the doorframe by Percy and his two friends that were in the same math class. I sent Percy my signature glare. His response was shooting me his.

Katie walked over and grabbed my arm before we yanked out each other's throats. I watched as his friends pulled on his leather jacket, making him turn around and walk away. I went over to my locker, opening it, irritated.

"Ok, it's only the first day and you guys are fighting like cats and dogs," Katie said leaning against her locker.

I glanced in the direction he went. "He's so annoying and rude and thinks he can control everything because he is who he is-"

"Annie, he's the leader of a gang. I know he would think that he runs this school. Dude, I'm even scared of him," she leaned in closely and whispered, "And I'm hardly afraid of anything. That's saying something. You're crossing some dangerous lines, Annabeth."

"I know, I know," I snapped. "I crossed them last year."

Katie looked down at the ground. "I remember." That day was pictured in my mind.

_Percy pushed me against the wall, my back slamming into the white, hard wall. His arm hovered above my head, his sea green eyes locking with mine. I was burning with fury. I had enough of his teasing me about my brother so I said something. We went at it and before I knew it, I yelled something totally wrong and it got to where we were now. _

_"Don't mess with me, Chase. I'm the last person you want to make angry," he growled._

_"Actually, you're the first," I spat. _

_Percy's eyes flashed a different emotion, but I couldn't quite read it. "I'm about done with your sassy remarks."_

_"I'm about done with your attitude and disrespect towards my brother!" I pushed against his chest._

_He smirked. "Well, kitty likes to stratch. Who knew little Miss I-do-everything-perfect Chase was an aggressive person?"_

_"You used to," I said._

_Percy glanced in the other direction. "That was a long time ago."_

_"Long ago that you decided to change," I responded._

_He looked back at me. "I had my reasons, Chase. Reasons that you wouldn't understand."_

_"I had problems too. Everyone does."_

_"Not like mine," he said._

_I smirked. "Well, who knew that Mr. I'm-so-bad Jackson was sensititive?" _

_Percy pressed me against the wall harder. "Shut up."_

_"No."_

_A teacher came running over to us, grabbing Percy by the arm. I stayed standing against the wall, staring at him with heavy amounts of anger and frustration. The teacher told me something that I didn't hear and took Percy with him towards the front office. I was about to turn around when I saw the gang leader turn his head in my direction with an expression that I have never seen before._

"Annabeth!" Katie yelled, knocking me out of my thoughts.

"What?" I asked, turning my attention back on her.

She was about to speak, but instead she squeaked out-loud. My whole body stiffened when I felt his hot breath on the back on my neck. I felt the urge to knee him in the groin, but I stopped myself before we go at it again for the second time today. That was actually a good record for us. I closed my eyes when I felt his chin rest on my shoulder, his lips close to my ear.

"Hello, Miss Chase and Gardner. I heard you guys like talking about me so much. It's very flattering," Percy said.

I gritted my teeth. "Get your hands off me."

"They're not technically on you, Chase, but they can, if you want them to," he rested his filthy hands on my waist, his fingers sprayed on my stomach.

Katie rolled her eyes. "Do you not have enough victims to torture?"

"As a matter of fact, we do," a friend of his replied.

The boy who held my waist snapped at his friend. "Shut up."

"What's the matter? Feeling guilty for your actions?" I should have kept my mouth shut, but I didn't. I felt his hands tighten around my waist, his fingers now gripping my shirt.

My best friend sighed. "Just leave her alone."

Percy shook his head, his chin relaxing in the crook of my shoulder. "I can't do that, now can I?"

"You can always make a wise decision. Oh wait, you don't choose what is wise," I said.

"I thought that was your thing, Wise Girl," he whispered into my ear so no one could hear. The nickname. Wise Girl is what he called me when we were younger. He remembered. My knees wanted to buckle, but I couldn't be weak in front of him. "I bet you thought I forgot about our little nicknames for each other."

"That is correct," I whispered back.

Percy let his grip on me become loose. His friends started to walk away, waiting for their leader to come with them. His hand trailed down my arm, leaving goosebumps along my skin, until he reached my hand. His fingers interlaced with mine real quick before he let them go.

Percy smirked, taking a few steps backwards as he said, "I could never forget your nickname."

I stood there, watching him send me a quick wink before he returned to his gang. Katie was so confused that I had to talk to her later. I watched him disappear behind the doors of the school, leading the gang to their 'palace'. I released the breath I was holding.

"What just happened?" Katie asked.

I glanced at the floor. "He remembers my nickname."

"What?"

"He remembers my nickname," I repeated.

Katie sighed in exasperation. "Annie, I have no idea what you're talking about. What nickname?"

"Just never mind," I told her. "Nothing you need to worry about. Let's just get to second period," I reached over and grabbed her arm, pulling her confused expression through the halls as his words replayed in my head.

_"I could never forget your nickname."_

**...LINE BREAK...**

**PERCY'S POV:**

Nico was passed out on the couch. He was tired from dealing with his own problems in first period. I didn't blame him for heading straight for dreams. I know I would, but I had to fix the engine in my truck before anything else. My mom and I didn't have enough money to get a mechanic to fix it, so I had to be the mechanic.

Beckendorf, a friend of mine and gang member, stood at my right. He fumbled with the lighter in his hands. I rolled my eyes and grabbed it out of his hands, lighting the cigarette that was already in my mouth, ready to be lit.

"Now, I don't have to wait forever," I mumbled as I took a drag.

"You know that cigarettes can give you lung cancer," Grover said taking a drink of water. He sat next to Nico who was rubbing his eyes.

Nico yawned. "It's true. I had to do a stupid health project on it."

"Do you think I give a friggin' crap?" I asked, letting the smoke emerge from my mouth. Grover wriggled his nose in digust, but kept his mouth shut. "How was school, little man?"

Nico took a sip of water that I set out from him. "Fine, besides the fact that my teacher is out to get me and you know my old girlfriend from last year," I shook my head in agreement. "Yeah, I have to be her partner for the first month of school. I thought senior year was suppose to be fun."

"It will, man," Beckendorf said.

I laughed. "It's funny. I have to be partners with Annabeth I'm-so-freaking-smart Chase for the entire year. How's that for bad luck?"

Grover ate a piece of apple. "Isn't that the one you were best friends with until eighth grade?"

"Yeah. What does that have to do with anything? That was a long time ago."

"Didn't you have feelings for her?"

"Yeah, back then, but that was before my whole life changed upside down."

Beckendorf collapsed in the chair next to them. "So what's the big deal then? She's pretty good looking and from what I hear, her brother is one of the smartest kids at... Yale? Columbia? One of those fancy colleges where brats go to."

"Where are you getting at?"

"You should go out with her," Nico chuckled. "I mean, the leader of a gang and the girl who is the smartest kid in the entire school. What a wonderful combination."

"It's a death sentence," I leaned against the truck. "Anyways, she has plenty of guys going after her. She doesn't trust any of them. She thinks they're all jerks, pretty much since she's met me."

"I don't blame her. You did hurt her," Nico said.

I glared at him. "I had my reasons. Let's talk about something else now," I took the cigarette away from my mouth, letting the smoke rings form. I threw the cigarette away in the trash bin, slipping my arms into the sleeves of my leather jacket. I walked out of the garage, making my way home.

I opened the door to the apartment, shutting it behind me. I heard cooking untensils scraping against the pan and the smell of dinner cooking from the kitchen. I placed my backpack down on the couch, walking into the kitchen where my mother stood with her hair tied up in a bun and apron around her waist.

"Hey mom," I said walking over and kissing her on the cheek.

My mom returned the kiss and turned to the pour the cooking oil into the pan. I grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl, taking a bite out of it as I jumped onto the counter.

"What are we havin' for dinner?" I asked, some juice running down my chin.

She reached over next to me to grab the chicken. "Some roasted chicken with a dish of fried vegetables."

"I don't like vegetables," I said sliding down onto my feet.

My mom wiped her hands on her apron and walked over, running her hand through my hair that needed to be cut in her mind. "Too bad. I cook it, you eat it unless you want to live off the junk you get from those fast-food restaurants."

"They're not that bad every once in a while."

She shook her head, agreeing. "I understand that, but I also want my son to eat my food. I'm afraid that you're trying to avoid my cooking."

"Mom, I love your cooking, but sometimes I'm not always home to eat it," I explained.

She pointed at me with her index finger. "No, it's because you are at there doing that dirty-gang business of yours. One day, you're gonna get hurt because of that."

"Mom, not this again-" I began to say, but she caught the sentence I was about to say.

"No! None of that 'not this again' crap! I don't want my son to come home one day bruised up or beaten or even have a police officer at my door, telling me something horrible that I don't want to hear!" she cried. "I already had that once. I cannot afford to have it happen again."

"Why do we always get on this subject?" I asked, looking down at the floor.

"Because I worry every night whether my son is going to come home or not."

I glanced up from the floor to my mother who was standing, looking at the chicken with the spoon non-moving. I could see there was tears on her cheeks from the lighting. I walked over to her and wrapped my arms around her waist, pulling her into a hug. My mother began to protest about the food, but then relaxed into the hug.

"Don't worry about me. I'm a big boy. I can handle myself," I whispered, burying my nose into her brown hair. I noticed some grey strands were staring to sprout.

"I know, but you're my first and now my only son," she replied. "I just don't want to lose you."

My mom backed away from the hug as soon as the pot started to boil. She returned to the vegetables, spinning them around with the spoon.

I began to walk away from the kitchen when I turned my head and said, "I'm only doing this because of what happened. It's not that I like it. In fact, I sometimes hate what I do," I told her honestly. My mom didn't look at me, but I could tell she was listening. I looked back at the ground. "But sometimes, you have to do what you have to do and deal with it."

**Well, well, well, Percy has a some-what sensitive side, but only towads his mother. You kind of get an idea of what Percy thinks of Annabeth. He thinks of her as a spoiled-brat and doesn't seem to care about her, but does he? What do you guys think?**

**Any ideas on what you want to see happen in this story? **

**It's been such a long time since I've updated, but I hope this makes up for it. I love you guys so much and thank you for taking the time to wait for chapters. It means a lot to me.**

**-HunterofArtemis32**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey everyone!**

**OUT OF THE BLUE, but are any of you guys injured? Why? Because your author here (points at herself) has injured herself once again! I was in soccer tryouts and some girl kicked me the only place where the shin guards didn't cover. Now, I have a sprained ankle.**

**Well, with that out of the way, let's get on with the story! I've been really excited about writing this story. I think a lot of you like this type. Thank you for reading! Enjoy!**

**PERCY'S POV:**

Beckendorf stood next to me as we leaned against the lockers in the hallway. Nico was talking to the girl who agreed to go on a date with him on Friday. Stacie made her way over to where I stood, looping her arm through mine. She turned me around to face her. Her entire face was covered in inches of make-up. I groaned mentally. I hate it when girls where that much. It's sickening to me. I would literally be wiping at my face every second of every day.

"I heard you were messing with that Annabelle girl yesterday," Stacie says with a hint of disgust. She put her finger on my chest, her blue eyes staring me down. "You are my boyfriend. She does not need your attention."

"I was messing with her, Stacie. It didn't mean anything under than that. It was for fun," I reply.

She pursed her lips. "Well, I don't like it. She's not important enough to have _my_ boyfriend's attention at all. I don't care whether you were messing with her or not."

"You don't own me," I retorted.

"But I am your girlfriend and you should respect me."

I chuckled, glancing behind her. "I do, but that doesn't mean you get to tell me what to do."

She raises an eyebrow. She put her hands on her hips. "I'm not telling you what to do."

"It seems like that to me," I say.

"I just don't want to lose you, baby," Stacie put her hands on my upper arms. I look at her hands and mentally rolled my eyes. "I like having my big, bad boyfriend who takes care of me."

Nico walked over to us, but saw that we were in the middle of a conversation. I glance over at him, turning my attention over to him. "Is something wrong?"

"No," he answers. He pointed at the rest of the guys. "We wanted to know if you wanted us to go ahead and go to the assembly."

"Go ahead and go. Save me seat, will ya?" I yell as they trailed down the hallway. I turned back to Stacie who was waiting impatiently. She was checking her nails while smacking her mouth. "I don't really see what the big deal is. I've done this for the last three years of high school. I have to do it in senior year," I explain.

"I just don't like it that you put your hands on her," she growls.

I laugh. "It's a joke. It doesn't mean anything."

"Whatever," Stacie mutters. "Let's just forget about it, ok? Are we still on for tonight?"

_She's the one who brought it up. Not me. _"Uh, the guys and I are thinking about going to the football game tonight. You want to come?" I ask as we made our way towards the gymnasium.

"Oh, I just wanted to go see a movie and go out to eat," she says.

I continued to walk. "I already made plans with the guys. I offered if you wanted to come."

"I want to spend time with you and you only," Stacie stopped in her tracks.

I turned around to face her. "Why are you always so complicated? I don't give you a hard time when you want to hang out with your group. Why do you give me a hard time?"

She shrugged. I roll my eyes and grab the handle to the doors of the gym. I open the door for her, but she just scoffs and walks past me to the cheerleaders. I just noticed that she was wearing her cheerleading uniform. I slip my hands into my jeans pockets as I walked past the bleachers, looking for my group. I caught the familar sight of a red-head, blonde, and brunette haired girls. **(AN: I don't the color of Katie's hair so I made her have brunette hair) **I smirk, walking over to them. The red-head, Rachel Elizabeth Dare patted Annabeth's arm. Her nose was stuck in a book like always. She glanced up from the page to look at me.

"What are you doing here?" she asks.

I shrugged. "I go to school here. What are you doing here?" I ask, smirking.

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "I meant, why are you here bothering us?"

"Am I seriously that annoying to you?"

Rachel and Katie scooted away from their friend, aware of our argument sniffing its way up. She glared at me before looking back at her book.

"Whatcha' readin'?" I tried to read the title, but she closed the book and put it back in her backpack and the words started to jumble up.

"None of your business," she answers.

I laugh. "Is it that hard to tell me a book title? It's just a question, Chase."

"Precisely, Jackson. Then soon you'll be asking for my number and get what you always get out of girls who you lure into your trap," Annabeth retorted.

I cross my arms above my chest. "And what is that?"

"Sleep with them."

I was about to say something back, but Beckendorf walked over to me, pulling me on the sleeve of my jacket. Annabeth's grey eyes locked with mine for a second before she glanced over at Rachel who was laughing at a sentence from the book she was reading.

"Oh and Annabeth," I call out. She looked up at me. "I don't sleep with every girl I date. I just date and dump."

For a second there, she looked like she was sorry for what she said, but didn't say anything to me. Katie shot me a small smile that said 'sorry' then looked at the textbook in her hands. Beckendorf and I walked up the stairs to sit down with our gang. Nico was laughing with Grover about one of the cheerleaders. I leaned my head against the wall while glancing over at Annabeth. She sat her with one of her knees propped up, the book lying against the leg. The teacher was speaking into the microphone about our big game tonight. The cheerleaders who included Stacie and her minions were doing flips and hand motions as the teacher talked.

They continued to talk about the game, but I had more interest of playing hang-man with Grover. I passed the sheet to him with the little dude drawn on the lined-paper. Beckendorf was texting his girlfriend, Silena who went to a different school than us. I met her once. She was nice, sweet and didn't worry about what she looked like. I mean, about certain things she did, but not the way Stacie did. Silena didn't wear tons of freaking make-up like most of the girls here do. The only girls who I think don't wear any make-up were Chase and her two friends there.

"What were you and Annabeth talking about, Perce?" Grover asks.

Beckendorf turned to look at me. "Yeah, what were you talking about?"

"I asked her a simple question and she went off on me about how one question like that can lead up to more in my book. How it leads to sleeping with a girl," I answer. The teacher continued to talk about blah, blah, blah. "She thinks I sleep with every girl I date, but that's not true. Yes, I've made mistakes, but I'm not stupid. I know not to sleep with girls. I don't need teaching from an eighteen year old."

Grover took a drink of soda from a can. "Haven't you slept with somebody before though?"

I look over at him and sigh. "Ya'll know I have. Once."

"Do you wish you haven't done it?" Grover asks. He may be a gang member, but he was sensitive when it came to this kind of stuff. He's been dating the same girl since tenth grade.

"No. I mean, life is full of adventures. I had one of many."

"You had a lot more than one," Nico adds.

I laugh, then we were shushed by a teacher that was checking the students. I licked my lips and turned my attention to the cheerleaders who were about to do a performance. The students were interested into it, but I was aggravated by the same performance they do for every assembly/pep rally. I looked around the gymnasium and saw that Annabeth was still reading her book.

Like she could feel someone's gaze on her, she turned around slowly, checking to see and met my stare. I wiggled my eyebrows like I used to do when we were younger. Annabeth was a few bleachers away from me, but I could see the smile in her facial expression. It wasn't there on the outside, but on in the inside. Annabeth let go of the stare first, looking back down at her book.

**ANNABETH'S POV:**

I felt like someone was watching me intensely so I slowly turned my head around to see and I saw that it was Percy, sitting a few bleacher sets away from me with his gang, but I met his stare. I could see him wiggle his eyebrows at me like he used to do when we were younger. He would do it to get my attention and I would laugh every time. The memory made me smile on the inside, but I kept my expression blank on the outside. I didn't want him to know that I missed our time together. I missed him. I missed the Percy he used to be.

I pulled away from the stare, not wanting to look at him for another minute. The book in front of me wasn't attaching to me like it did earlier because my brain was interfered with the memories of our childhood together. Percy with his messy, un-combed hair and sea green eyes that would make me weak in the knees years ago.

The same pair of green eyes that scared my best friend.

The same pair of eyes that caused me great amount of emotional pain.

Rachel put a hand on my knee, looking at me with her red hair and green eyes. "I know you miss him, but he's changed."

"I don't think he'll ever be the same ever again, Annabeth," Katie says with a sad tone in her voice.

I grab my backpack strap and pull it over my shoulder. "Yeah. It would take a miracle to get him back," I mutter while picking up my book and stepping off the bleachers. "I have to go pick up my brothers from school. I'll talk to you later."

I walked out of the gymnasium, walking through the many hallways of the school. I made it to my locker and opened it, taking the few things I needed out. I leaned my forehead against the locker next to mine while the pictures of Percy and I flooding my mind. Us on the swings, at the park, at the swimming pool, and at birthday parties for one another.

I pulled the book out of my front compartment of my backpack, turning to the front page. There was a picture of Percy and I taped on the back of the cover. His arm was around my shoulders and I held the present he got on his vacation for me in my hand while the other was around his waist. We were about nine years old and both smiling at the camera. There was a note written in his nine-year old handwriting.

"_Happy Birthday, Wise Girl! :) you're finally my age! haha! anyways, momma said i had to get you something special for your birthday so i got you a book. she said you probably couldn't read it for a few years but mm, whatever :) well, i'm so happy i have you for a friend- wait, scratch that, my BEST FRIEND! i hope you have a great birthday. love you Wise Girl- Seaweed Brain._"

I smiled at the message he wrote for me. I turned the book over to the cover and read the title._ A Walk to Remember_ by Nicholas Sparks. I closed the locker door, slipping the book back into my backpack and walking out of the school to where my car rested. I slid inside, resting my hands on the wheel. Gosh, I just wished Percy could feel the way I felt for him.

**I thought the note in her book would be a good reminder about their good old days. He 'loved her' back then, but what exactly do you think he feels for her now? He has changed a lot since then and you're probably wondering, HOW?**

**The answer: keep on reading! You have to keep reading to find out the story about EVERYTHING. About why he changed so drastically, about what happened. So many things are going to be discovered in this story... over time.**

**-HunterofArtemis32**

**P.S. These stupid crutches are hurting the palms of my hands. Heh, I had worse. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Aloha, my fellow readers!**

**Welcome to the fourth chapter of The Stranger Within. I really like writing this story for many reason. I may not know everything that is done in a gang, but I try my best. **

**I don't have anything really to say besides "hello and how are you?" so I hope you enjoy the chapter!**

**PERCY'S POV:**

It's hard to concentrate while you're bleeding from two knife wounds, feel like you have to pass out, and have to face the horror of your mother when you walk through the door to your home.

That was my situation right now.

When I stepped into my home, my mother was in the kitchen finishing some electric bills. I pressed my fingers against the cut on my shoulder to ease the pain, but it just made it worse. The pain made me wince loud through my teeth and my mom looked up from the papers in front of her. She saw the appearance I was in. Busted lip, cut on the forehead, limping, and holding my palm against my shoulder. Nothing compared to what I've been before.

She gestured me to sit down. I did exactly that. She always kept a first-aid kit in the kitchen, bathrom, and both bedrooms in case of accidents. My mother slammed the kit on the dining table, turning around while holding a hand to her forehead. I glanced at her, biting my lip as I stood from my seat. I put a hand on her shoulder. She slapped it off.

"This is too far. You promised me you wouldn't do drug deals," my mother hisses.

I look at her face. "I didn't do a drug deal."

"Then why do you come home like this?" she yells.

"I promise I didn't do a drug deal," I say honestly. She looks at me with her sad eyes, sniffling from the few tears that was let out. "I promise you I didn't."

"How do I know you're telling me the truth? You've told me plenty of lies before."

"Do you honestly think I would lie about this?" I shout. My mother glanced at the counter with my dinner on the plate. I sigh, closing my eyes. I pinched the bridge of my nose. "One of the gang members that Beckendorf and I kicked out a few months ago came back. He was armed and there was only three of us in the garage. Nico, Beckendorf, and I. I told them both to leave and get help. Beck stayed. We disarmed him, but that was after we both got stabbed. The police came after Beck and I... showed him who was boss."

I look at the ground. "You know I wouldn't lie to you about something like this. I wouldn't put myself in danger like that," I lied. I put myself in danger every day whether she knew that or not.

My mother didn't look at me except to push me back down in the seat. She cleaned the cut on my forehead which took longer from me squirming under her touch. It wasn't gentle. She tried to take care of my busted lip, but I shrugged that off. I had to carefully slip my shirt off for her to clean my shoulder wound. I bit my lip in case I tried to yell at her. The proxide stung like hot Hades, but I kept myself cool.

After everything was cleaned and stitched up, she set my dinner in the fridge and disappeared into her bedroom without telling me good-night or anything. I grabbed my shirt off the table, making my way towards my bedroom. It was small and dinky, but it was better than nothing. I collapsed on the bed, keeping an eye out on my wounded shoulder. The only light I had was the shining from the moon. I bit my lip as I shifted sides, relaxing into the mattress as I drifted to sleep.

_**THE NEXT MORNING**_

"What did your mom say?" Beckendorf askes, sitting next to me on the ground. We were leaning against our lockers, careful of our injuries.

"Nothing really," I answer. He shot me a look that says 'nothing my butt'. I shove him in the side with my elbow, chewing on the piece of gum in my mouth. "She went off on me, thinking I did a drug deal. She thought I was lying to her. Go figures."

Nico slid down next to me. "Hey man." We did our little hand-shake. "Dude, guess what? I found a new set of wheels for us. My uncle gave them to me. No cost or nothin'."

"What'd he give you?" I ask.

He grins. "Motorcycles. Some really sweet-lookin' motorcycles! They're in the garage though. I told him to drop it off. Hopefully he remembers to shut the garage door behind him."

"No repeats of last year," Beckendorf laughed. I put on my signature smirk.

Nico shook his head, agreeing with him. "That's for sure." They continued to laugh until we saw Mrs. Dodds making her way through the hallway.

"GET UP OFF YOUR LAZY BUMS, YOU LITTLE HOOLIGANS!" she yelled across the hall. I pushed myself off the ground with my good arm, sliding my backpack onto my good shoulder. "I'm about to get sick of your games, Perseus Jackson." Of course, always blames me.

I raise an eyebrow. "What'd you call me?"

"Don't use that attitude of yours against me! I've had enough of it!" Mrs. Dodds shouted in my face which normally I would punch whoever called me Perseus, but she was my teacher. As much as I would like to do it, I just couldn't. It was against the rules. Dang.

I trailed through the halls until I reached first period which happened to have her as my teacher and stinkin' Annabeth Chase in it. Could this day get any worse? When I walked in, Annabeth was already sitting there, math textbook and notebook out, pencil ready. Teacher's pet. A big one. I walked towards the desk, being careful with my right leg. The incident last night appeared in my mind as I was slammed against the concrete of our garage. My knee rammed him in the groin, but it was still shaking from being pushed into a car-plate.

Annabeth stared at me with her intense grey eyes as I slowly lowered myself onto the seat. My shoulder was causing me pain so I stifled the groan that was about to explode and looked over at her. I clenched my teeth together.

"What?" I spat. Annabeth fiddled with the pencil in her hand. I turned my gaze onto the board.

"You look..." she began. I look back at her.

"Like what?" I ask.

Annabeth then shook her head. "Never mind."

I grab her wrist. "What?" I hiss.

"Get your hand off me," she growls.

"Make me," I pressured.

She jerked her wrist out of my hand and guess what? The shoulder that had a knife wound was the one she just took her arm away from. My face scrunched up as a painful groan slipped through my lips. Annabeth scoffed like I was messing with her, but it dawned on her as I clutched my shoulder, biting my severely.

"Oh my gosh, Percy!" she said about to jump from the seat to get the teacher.

"Don't," I say. "I'll just have to endure it."

Annabeth sighs but stays in her seat. "I'm really sorry. I didn't-" 

"Know. Yeah, yeah. I hear it all the time," I interupt.

"At least I mean it," she retorted.

I glance at her then at the board. "Problem of that day. Get to it, brainaic."

She huffs while writing the problem down. "I rather be a brainiac than a selfish jerk."

I wrap my hand around her wrist. "What'd you just say?"

"Nothing," she mutters. Liar.

"Lie to me again. I dare you to," I threaten.

Annabeth met my eyes. Green to grey. "Fine. I said I must rather be a brainiac than a selfish jerk," she smirks. "You wanted to hear it. There you go."

I glare at her. Mrs. Dodds then realized how we were acting. She was teaching the class a lesson that was a review from last year and saw that we weren't paying attention. I could hear the bones cracking in every student as she made her way over to where we sat in the back of the room. Annabeth looked up at our teacher, putting on a fake smile. She finished the work that I interrupted her in. Mrs. Dodds stopped in front of me, crossing her arms.

"Can I ask what the big deal here is? You two have been at it all morning long," she says. Way to state the obvious.

I shrugged. "Do you honestly think you would get it out of me?"

Annabeth looked at me with wide eyes. "Sorry about interrupting."

"Don't do it again," Mrs. Dodds struts off to the board.

"You're gonna have yourself in detention the first week of school," Annabeth whispers.

I chuckle. "Do you think I care? I'll be lucky if I don't get at least one today."

"You're lucky she let you off with a warning."

I scoff, turning to look at her. "The only reason why I even got laid off was because of you, teacher's pet. She wasn't going to put her top student in detention, now would she? You're a suck up. That's all you are!" I then turn back to the blank sheets of paper in front of me.

"I rather be a teacher's pet than someone who doesn't appreaciate what they have," she retorted.

Let's just say, I didn't speak or look at her for the rest of the period.

**LINE BREAK**

"She actually said that?" Nico asked, handing me the wrench.

I ran a hand through my hair. "Yeah. She needs to watch what she says or one day, she'll be getting in trouble because of that mouth of hers."

"Maybe you need to shut it for her," Beckendorf suggests.

I must have made a face because they both started busting out laughing. Grover ran as fast as he could down the small set of stairs, almost knocking his head on the ledge.

"What happened? What'd I miss?" he asked.

Nico couldn't speak. He held a hand to his stomach. "Percy- ha-ha-ha- he, um, Beckendorf-ha-ha-ha, said-" He started to laugh again.

Beckendorf calmed himself down to talk. "Percy was talking about how Annabeth wasn't watching her mouth or she'll get in trouble... so I suggested that he could close it for her."

Grover raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"He means I should kiss her!" I say, turning my attention back to the engine in front of me.

"Oh gosh, that would be funny to see," Grover laughs. "I honestly think Annabeth would wash her mouth out with soap."

"I would be right after her," I mutter.

Beckendorf laid a hand on my shoulder. "You know I'm just kidding, man."

"I know," I chuckled. "I think it would be funny too. Funny to see her reaction."

"Haven't you kissed her before?" Nico wondered.

I raise both of my eyebrows. "No."

"I thought you did when you were younger."

"When we were about ten for a play of some sort, but not because I wanted to," I respond. "And anyways, it was on the cheek."

"Sure it was," Beckendorf teases. I grinned. Grover collapses on the couch, letting his legs take the whole area. I pushed him off the cushion, sitting down instead. He glared at me from the floor as I put my good arm behind my head, relaxing into the seat.

**LATER THAT NIGHT**

There was a knock on my bedroom door. I let a small groan escape my lips as I drag my head off the pillow and emerge from underneath the covers. I strolled towards the door in my boxers, cracking it open to see who it was. My mother wore her night-gown with her hair curled up in cheap rollers. I leaned against the doorframe.

"I just wanted to make sure you were here, safe and sound," she whispers.

I shook my head, yawning quietly. "Yeah, I'm here. No parties tonight," I tease.

She smiles and ran a hand across my forehead, pushing my bangs away from my eyes. "Hmm, well goodnight, honey. I love you."

"Love you too," I say closing the door behind me as she walked towards her bedroom.

**LONG CHAPTER!**

**Just for you, boys and girls. **

**Ok! I have an announcement! I made a short trailer for this story and I put it on my profile so you guys can go check it out. Percy is played by Logan Lerman and Annabeth is played by AnnaSophia Robb :) And when I say short, I mean short.**

**Well, that's all the news I have for ya'll. I got this chapter out fast. Whoop! Now if only I can continue to do so :P **

**-HunterofArtemis32**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello ladies and gentlemen!**

**I'm still writing chapter twenty-five for Green Eyes. I know it's been a while, but for some reason, I've been having writer's block for that story. Hopefully, I will get the idea here soon. **

**Anyway, let's get on with the story. Enjoy!  
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**PERCY'S POV:**

I relaxed on the seat of my new motorcycle, courtesy to Nico's uncle. It was black with blue flames across the seat cushion, with my name engraved in the fire. Nico's uncle said it fit my personality; wild, young, and free. And the name was a nice tough. It showed everyone who dared to come close to steal my property who was boss and who I was. Everyone in New York has heard of my name somehow.

Stacie walked over to me in her tight jeans and cheerleading top. She kissed my cheek while walking towards the main building with her minions close by. I mentally rolled my eyes. Always showing off. I held back a cocky grin as I watched Annabeth and her friends walk past us. What the heck? I whistled, catching their attention. Annabeth with her curly, blonde hair pulled into a messy ponytail turned to look at me with an eyebrow raised. I held out my arms in amazement.

"What do you think of my new ride, ladies?" I asked.

Annabeth checked it out and shrugged. "I've seen better."

Katie Gardner laughed. "And anyways, why would you want our opinion? We are just nerds, according to your book."

"I really just want one opinion," I answer. I slid off the bike and walked over to Annnabeth who was standing with her arms crossed above her chest. I smirked as I said, "You've seen better? Heck, I doubt you've ever rode a motorcycle."

"Does it matter if I have or not?" she retorted.

Everyone around us made an ooh! sound. I chuckled while glancing over at Beckendorf and NIco. Nico tilted his head towards the motorcycle as did Beckendorf. I grabbed the extra helmet from the back of the bike,

"Why don't we go and find out?" I tossed one leg on each side as I mounted the bike. I looked back at her, my grin plastered on my face. "Unless you're too scared, Chase." I slid my helmet on and held the extra one out for her.

Annabeth looked over at her friends. For a minute there I thought she was going to walk off in the other direction and leave me alone for the rest of the year until graduation. But when she slung her backpack off her shoulders and took the helmet out of my hands, I knew she wasn't going to seem weak in front of a crowd. I revved the engine as Annabeth wrapped her arms loosely around my waist. I wiggled my fingers on the gas trigger.

"I would hang on tight if I were you."

"Yeah, sure. Like I would do that," she said sarcastically.

I chuckled. I pressed down on the gas trigger and pushed off my foot that rested on the ground. Her hands clutched my shirt as the engine roared to life and drove off from the parking space. Her friends started in shock. I put both my feet on the gas pedals, driving our way out of the parking lot to the main road. The high school started drifting off in the distance as we drove on the back-roads to the highway.

Her head was buried into my back when I stopped the engine. We were in front of the high school again, the small crowd we were drew earlier was in the building. The other few motorcycles were resting around the parking lot. I parked the bike in its place, waiting for her to get off first.

"You know, it might be easier to get off if you let go," I said.

Annabeth jumped off the bike, standing a few feet away from me. She zipped up her jacket and crossed her arms. I took my helmet off, resting it on the seat. I stood in front of her, slipping my hands into my pockets.

"I always knew you wouldn't let people see you weak," I broke the silence. "But I honesly think you wanted to take a ride with me."

She rolled her eyes. "In your dreams, Jackson."

"Definitely in my dreams," I winked.

She was about to walk away, but I latched onto her sleeve. "What do you want? Can't you just leave me alone?"

"Now I can't do that," I answered.

"And why not?" she yelled.

I leaned over and whispered into her ear, "Because you are way too special for me to let go." And with that, I wrapped my fingers around my backpack strap and held it over my shoulder, leaving her in the parking lot, staring off into space.

**ANNABETH'S POV:**

I'M SPECIAL TO HIM?

When I repeated the whole conversation to Katie, she told me that it was a scam. It was part of his reputation that he gets the girl to feel special and then he would break their heart after three weeks or so. I wasn't going to put myself through that. I don't care if I do love him. He doesn't deserve to have a piece of my heart.

I walked the halls of the school (free period), waiting for my brother, Malcolm to text me back. He was at college, top of his class. It was hard to compare to him. My parents are so proud of him and hardly paid attention to me or my other brothers. Well, they give Bobby and Matthew attention, but with me, it's like I'm a fly on the wall. I just keep getting squashed under pressure.

He texted me back, saying that he was coming home today. He was almost at the house and he wanted me to be there. I started to run towards the front office, excited to see my brother again.

I wasn't watching where I was going and before I knew it, I was running into someone's shoulder and catching myself on my wrists as I toppled onto the floor. My right wrist cracked under the sudden pressure of weight and I clutched it to my chest. I looked up at the person and gasped when I saw a pair of sea-green eyes staring at me in shock.

"Why are you running through the halls like a maniac?" Percy asked, raising an eyebrow.

I waited for him to hold his hand out to help me up, but I knew better. This wasn't the Percy I knew years ago. I pushed myself up onto my feet with my good wrist, holding the other close to my chest.

"Do you need to have that check?" he asked. "Come here."

I had the urge to step away from him and walk away, but I didn't. I held my wrist out for him to check. Who knew he had a soft side? Percy grabbed my hurt wrist and I winced under my breath as he moved it so gently and ran his fingers across the skin, his eyes roaming the injury. He let my wrist go.

"Nothing horrible. Maybe a sprain," he said. "Nurse's office is down the hall, to the right-"

"I know where it is," I hissed.

Percy raised his eyebrows. "All right, but you still haven't told me why you were running down the halls when you could easily run into somebody?"

I rolled my eyes. "None of your business."

"Is it that important and secretive that you can't tell me?" His green eyes stared into mine. I felt like a bug under a microscope.

I sighed. "My brother is coming home from college for the weekend and I haven't seen him in forever. That's why I was running through the halls and smacked into you."

"Do you need a ride?" he asked.

I raised an eyebrow. "Why are you helping me? You hate me, remember?"

"You can't drive with a sprained wrist, especially when it's your right hand, which you probably use more than your left," he pointed out.

"Ok, but you still haven't answered my question. Why are you helping me?" I asked.

Percy shrugged, smirking. "I'm just trying to get out of school. If I take you home-"

"Wait, who said you would take me home? I can ask Katie to drive me."

"I offered."

"Yeah, so? It's not for my benefit, it's for yours."

"So?"

"And you can easily leave the school, taking it you are a gang leader," I said smirking. "You don't need my help."

Percy chuckled, glancing behind me. "You may want to get to that nurse's office. Teacher coming our way. We're not suppose to be roaming the halls without a pass."

"And why do you care?" I asked.

"I don't. It's for your benefit," he said.

I pushed past him, making my way towards the nurse's office. I turned around, looking at Percy who was walking the opposite way I was. His red and black bandana stuck out his back pocket of his jeans. I licked my lips, contemplating whether I should call his name or let him get caught for walking around the school without a pass. But the thing is, I was doing the same thing. I caught the familiar glimpse of a teacher's outfit. I'm going to regret this.

"Percy!" I called out. He turned half-way around.

"What?"

I sighed and prayed that I was doing the right thing. "Are you going to drive me home or not?"

The grin on his face brought a glimpse of the younger Percy I used to know.

"Um, down this road," I told him pointing at the street sign.

Being in Percy's truck, instead of being on his motorcycle was more comfortable yet awkward. It was silent beside the soft music of the radio playing in the background. I was more comfortable being in a seat but it was awkward because... well, you try putting yourself in my place. I was stuck in a moving vehicle with no way out unless I wanted to get seriously injured by falling out of the truck and since I don't want to do that, I was stuck in a truck with a gang leader.

"Uh, this is my house," I said stopping him at a two-story house with a dark burgendy door.

He seemed out of place since I lived in a rich town and he probably lived in something lower than this. His worn-out jeans and two year leather jacket wouldn't fit in around here. You had to have the newest item that came out. I didn't fit in here. My parents were rich, not me.

He pulled into the driveway that had my step-mom's silver convertible Mustang and my dad's black SUV parked in the garage. His black beat-up truck also didn't fit in here. I felt bad for him because he seemed really uncomfortable being in this type of neighborhood. Percy shifted in his seat, relaxing his hands on the wheel.

"Um, do you need me to walk you to the door? Or do you just want me to stay in here?" he asked.

I shook my head. "No, it's fine." If Malcolm sees him, Percy would be having his funeral in a few days. "Uh, thanks for bringing me home and checking out my wrist," I said holding my wrist up that had the small cast around it.

"You're welcome," he said.

I got out of the truck, pulling my bag around my neck, walking around his vehicle to the stoneway to the front porch. When I turned around to greet him goodbye, Percy was already pulling out of the driveway. I watched as he checked his phone and jerk with the stick-shift before driving down the road. I smiled, happy to see a small glimpse of the Percy he used to be instead of the Percy he was now.

I walked into my house, still uncomfortable of being in such an awful place. The only person who would talk to me about my problems was Malcolm, but I'm starting to lose him due to college. I leaned against the door, wondering if I'll ever get out of this prison.

**Well, well, well, Percy showed her a little sympathy. But was he having an off day or just wanted to be nice? What did you think of Annabeth's problems?**

**You didn't really get the background story of Annabeth's problem, but you know she doesn't like living in the rich town or being treated the way she is. **

**What would YOU like to see in the chapters to come? **

**-HunterofArtemis32**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello everybody! I'M ON SPRING BREAK! Anyone else?**

**It seems that a lot of people enjoyed the last chapter with the small scenes of Percabeth. I wanted to show that Percy can care for people, he just doesn't like to show it off. The only main person he really shows it to is his mother.**

**Anyways, I saw that someone wanted me to write Percy doing his gang-business and I was already thinking about bringing some of the elements into the story. I mean, you know he smokes, drinks, but what else does he do? **

**You're about to find out. **

**PERCY'S POV:**

I smashed the gun against the guy's neck, holding it by the grip. Beckendorf grabbed the guy he knocked unconscious and Nico slammed his muzzle into the other guy's nose. I slid the slider into place, waiting to threaten anyone that came into the warehouse. The boss needed new supplies for his recruits and I was the one who had to get them. Beckendorf stored the security guards in the janitor's closet, blocking the doorknob with a chair. The detachable magazine was in my pocket. I wasn't the person who shot anybody. That's Santiago's job (another gang member). The only time I shot somebody (I didn't kill the person), but it was because my life was on the line.

I know I was the gang leader, but the boss and I had a deal. I didn't have to shoot anybody. The boss understood where I was coming from, considering that I watched two people die in front of my eyes by getting shot.

I didn't know I closed my eyes until I heard Beckendorf call, "Yo, Perce! It's time to go!"

My eyes opened and Nico carried the few bags with the supplies the boss needed.

"Ok, let's get out of here before more security comes," Grover said.

I smirked, holding my gun by the grip. "No, let's have some fun."

Beckendorf handed me the spray can and we bent down at one of the walls, vandalizing the warehouse's walls and adding our signature touch to it. In the distance, I perched up from my where I stood, hearing the shouts of guards and policemen outside of the warehouse. I signaled for the guys to follow my lead. I wrapped my hand around one of the straps to a bag and ran for the door, slamming myself against it as I tumbled out of the area and the door fell on one of the guards.

Flashlights shoned onto me before I smashed my fist in the person's face, breaking his nose under my knuckles. Nico, Grover, Beckendorf, and Rodriguez ran out of the building, to where the motorycles were being held. Santiago stayed behind, hitting one of the guys. A police officer who just ran into the scene reached into his pocket where his gun was stored, but I snapped his wrist with a quick snap. Santiago and I pushed ourselves from under the plastic wrap that they used for a door, running to where our motorcycles were.

The guys were revving their engines. Santiago got onto his, starting it quickly, driving off in the opposite direction of where two guys went. We always tried to separate while being chased after police. Beckedorf slid his cover down on his helmet before driving off. I jumped onto mine, holding tightly on the bag as I wrapped it around the edge of my seat. When the police officers came running out, I was already off on the street, smirking under my helmet.

I drove off into the street, not bothering to wait for vehicles to stop. I pulled out onto the busy highway, hearing the familiar horns honking and people yelling and cursing at me. The other guys emerged from the side streets, slipping past fast and slow cars. I continued to zoom down the highway as Beckendorf gave me a two-finger salute. I laughed, revving the engine loud and lifting my bike a few feet off the ground.

**NEW SCENE**

I leaned against the lockers with Beckendorf. Nico sat on the floor, eating a twizzler with his arm around his new girlfriend's shoulders as Stacie and her minions strutted over to us. I knuckled-punched another member of the gang. My girlfriend walked over to me, wrapping her arms around my neck, giving me a light kiss on the lips. When she pulled away, she turned around, leaning against my chest. I kissed her shoulder. Her minions looked confused so they just went to the bathroom. I started to laugh after they disappeared.

Stacie turned to look at me with an eyebrow raised. "What's so funny?"

"They had no idea what to do without you with them," I answered laughing. Nico chuckled beside my feet and Beckendorf stifled his laughs in his locker. It was funny because they didn't know how to stand and watch for a few minutes without being lost.

"Those are my friends, Percy. And you're laughing at them!" she said like it was a disgrace to society that I was laughing. The look on her face made me want to roll on the floor.

I took a step closer to her, resting my hands on her hips. "I don't see the big deal. I thought it was funny. If it were my friends, you would laugh too."

"Well, I don't think it's funny. And you don't know what I would do."

"Are you seriously getting mad at me for a silly little thing like this?" I asked holding my arm out for more effect.

Stacie crossed her arms above her chest. No answer. Great. I just made her even more pissed.

"Stace, stop making it a big deal. Stop being a drama queen."

She scoffed. "I'm not being a drama queen!"

"You know what, I'm not going to argue with you. Let's just leave it alone."

"No!" Stacie stomped her foot. I rolled my eyes.

Her minions came tumbling out of the bathroom, her second-in-command walking over to grab her arm. She glared at me, noticing Stacie's expression. I crossed my arms, waiting for one of them to do something. I coughed, making them jump out of trance.

"What happened?" one of them asked.

Stacie shook her head. "I'll tell you later." She walked close to me. I just stared at her. "Oh, and by the way, we're through."

"Fine with me," I smirked. She walked off, strutting her hips and her heels hitting the floor with click-click-click. It drives me insane. Hey, I don't have to deal with it anymore.

"Hey, man, you're free!" Beckendorf jumped, clapping me on the shoulder.

"Finally," I said grinning.

**NEW SCENE**

When I walked into math class, I quickly held my breath. The lesson on the board. All the numbers started to flip around when I looked at it. I glanced at the back of the room. Annabeth was already sitting in her seat, writing the first problem down. I said hey to a few of my friends before sitting down. I looked at the board, trying to figure out the equation, but the numbers just flipped. None of them stayed in their right position and if they did, I didn't know or not.

I hated asking for people's help, but I couldn't read it. I tapped Annabeth's shoulder. She glanced at me with her pencil in hand. "What?"

"Um, what does the problem say?" I asked.

She raised an eyebrow. "It's on the board. If you can't read it, go up-"

"No, I mean, what is the number order?"

Annabeth was about to say something, but her expression quickly changed to realization. "Oh, that's right. You have dyslexia."

"Wait, y-you remember?" I asked shocked. Hardly no one knows I have dyslexia. I only told the people I trusted and she used to be one of them. Keyword: used.

She stared at the board for a minute. "I remember everything about you." She looked back at me with her intense grey eyes.

My eyes locked with hers, seeing the small girl I used to hang out with. The girl who used to be my best friend before my whole world changed for the second time. Another version of her appeared in my head. We were both nine years old. She wore a purple and white dress with a hairband in her hair. She was hiding behind a tree, smiling at me as I ran towards her. It was on Easter.

_WHACK!_

Ms. Dodds slammed her attendance folder on the desk. I pulled away from the stare, leaning back into my chair, looking at our teacher.

"If you two are done, we can continue our class," she sneered.

I shrugged, smirking. "Well, we're done now. Thanks for holding up for us. You may continue."

Annabeth looked at me with her eyes widened. "We're sorry, Ms. Dodds."

"Hmm-mm." And with that she walked to the front of the class.

After she was out of ear-shot, Annabeth slapped me on the arm. "What was that? You almost got both of us in trouble!" she hissed.

"Oh, wah. It's not the end of the world if you get one warning from a teacher," I smirk. "It doesn't hurt to not just have one warning on your resume. Dang, I have plenty to last me a lifetime."

It seemed like she wanted to slap me across the face, but she bit her tongue and stayed quiet. I peered at the board, trying to figure out what the equation said. It was impossible.

**NEW SCENE**

I walked into my apartment building, balancing the pizza in my hands. My mom and I hardly ever got pizza and this one of the days where I got extra money. I opened the door to my apartment, kicking the door closed. I trailed into the kitchen, putting the pizza over my mother's head and eyes. She was busy doing bills. She jumped when the pizza appeared and I wrapped my arms around her, giving her a kiss on the head.

"What is this?" she asks, smiling at me with joy.

I grinned. "A pizza. Extra cheesy for my mother who I adore so much."

"Ok, what do you want?" she teases, opening the box. The smell of pepporoni, mushrooms, and cheese filled my nostrils.

"Nothin'. I just wanted to be nice," I said walking over to her with some paper towels and paper plates. I grabbed me three slices.

My mother took a bite out of her slice and sighed happily. "Mm, I haven't tasted a pizza for six months. It tastes delicious. Thank you, Percy."

"You're welcome," I grabbed her free hand. "Ok, wait, watch this." I peeled a mushroom off and threw it in the air, catching it in my mouth.

She smiled, grabbing another piece. "Do we have any coke left?"

"I think it's flat," I said grabbing the two-liter from the fridge. I tasted it. "Yep, it's flat."

"Oh, thats ok. We have food. That's all that matters."

I finished my pizza and wiped my hands on the napkin. "Hey, well, I need to get to bed."

"It's only seven-thirty," my mother says.

"I'm a teenage boy, Mom. We all need our beauty sleep," I tease winking at her. I kissed her cheek and took the bills away from the table.

"Percy, I need to finish those."

I threw them on the coffee table. "No. You are going to finish your pizza and then go to sleep. Don't you have to get to the candy shop tomorrow for that interview?"

"Yes, but you don't have to worry about me, Perseus. I'll be fine."

I grimaced at the sound of my full name as I walked to my small bedroom. "I hate that name," I mumbled under my breath.

That was the name my father gave me. Now, I can't stand to hear it. It reminds me of the good ole' days... before my world turned upside down the first time.

**Well, Percy had a little moment with Annabeth. This time, it was him who had the glimpse of the old Percy and Annabeth. Then, he had to ruin it by being... well, him. **

**What'd you think of the beginning with the action and showing you guys more of what Percy does? He's definitely going to be doing more, but that's all for now. **

**And what do you think Percy means by 'before my world turned upside down the first time?' (Oh, if you don't get it, it means that his world changed more than once)**

**Last question! Anything else you would want to see in the chapters to come? I'm all ears. **

**-HunterofArtemis32**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello everybody!**

**I am so happy that school is almost done. Only one more month left. What about you?**

**Anyway, enough of my jabbering, let's get onto the story. Everyone is giving me such good ideas that I can't figure which one I want to use! I like bringing my fans ideas into the stories. Hmm, I may just have to use all of them. Oh gracious!**

**Like I do to my sister and my mom, ENJOY READING!**

**ANNABETH'S POV:**

_I stared at the stars, watching them look over the entire city. I lay on my back, my thumbs fiddling with one another. My best friend, Percy was lying beside me. We were about ten years old, laying on top of his treehouse, gazing at the stars. He was entranced by the star's glittering light that he didn't notice that I wanted to talk to him about something. Or so I thought._

_"You okay, Wise Girl?" he asked. I could feel his gaze on me. _

_I turned my head to look at him and noticed that he was already looking at me. I stared into his sea green eyes, tears forming in mine as my lips trembled. I couldn't say it. Percy gave me a small smile as I felt his fingers intertwine with mine. _

_Tears left my eyes as I said the words, "My parents are getting a divorce."_

_Percy shook his head, knowing that I couldn't say anything else. I started to feel my stomach give in and I sat up, holding a hand to my mouth. I never cried. And he knew that. Percy knew this was serious if I was starting to cry. I felt his arm wrap around my shoulders. I dug my head into the crook of his neck, the tears escaping. He rubbed my back, whispering soothing words into my hair. I wiped the salt water off my face. _

_"I'm sorry," I whispered._

_He laughed, pulling my face away from his neck. His green eyes locked with mine. "Don't apologize to me. You needed to get it out."_

_"At least it was in front of you and no one else," I said pressing my nose against his neck._

_"Everyone has their moments, Annabeth. I think people would understand why you were crying," he told me, rubbing my back some more._

_I swallowed the lump in my throat. My chest ached. Percy rested his head on mine. Our hands stayed intertwined. I wiped my nose on the sleeve of my jacket, leaning against his shoulder. He poked me in the ribs to get my attention. And it did. _

_"You know I hate that," I said._

_He shrugged. "I'll always be here for you. And don't you ever forget that."_

_"What if we drift away from each other?" I asked not wanting to ever lose him._

_"You sound like we're dating," he laughed._

_"You know what I mean, Seaweed Brain."_

_Percy clutched me tighter against him. "I do. And you know that I do mean what I say. Nothing will ever separate us."_

_"Now, you're sounding like we're getting married," I teased._

_He chuckles, staring into my eyes. "Wise Girl."_

_"I know, I know."_

_"Just always know that you come to me for anything. I'll always be here. No matter what."_

My brothers pounded against the door, waking me up from the sweet memory of the Percy that I used to know. That was the Percy that I wanted more than anything. The one who would hold me when I was down. The one who would aggravate me by poking me in the ribs. The one who would do anything to make sure I was safe and un-harmed. The one who promised me we would be best friends (maybe something more) no matter what.

I peeled the blankets away as I trampled over some blueprints lying on the floor. When I opened the door, my brothers stood there with their matching hair yet different color eyes. I was the only girl amongst three boys. There was some moments that I wish there was at least one more girl, but I enjoyed it most of the time.

"Malcolm will be here soon! Mommy wanted us to wake you up and tell you," Matthew said sending me a small grin.

Bobby whacked him on the back of the head. "You weren't suppose to tell her about Malcolm! Mom was suppose to tell her, you dimwit."

"Hey, no name calling," I said ruffling their hair.

I trailed down the stairs with my younger brothers behind me. I walked into the kitchen, knowing that my parents would be in here. My father typed away on his computer, probably shooting an email to someone at work while my step-mom worked on breakfast. I liked my step-mom, but she isn't the best person in the world. I can't come to her and talk to her about anything anymore. The last time I did that, she took it to the extreme.

My step-mom, Melanie slid the greasy bacon from the pan to the plate. She was wearing a knee-length pencil skirt with a burgendy blouse. She was part of an intense law firm. Melanie flipped the pancakes out of the skillet and placed them on the large plate. I leaned forward, resting my arms on the island, waiting for my older brother to walk in the door to end this awkward silence.

"Annabeth, I have a question for you," she said while not looking away from the skillet as she poured more batter.

"What is it?" I asked.

Melanie finished the new ones off and wiped her hands on her apron. She looked at me with her soft blue eyes. "I saw that some boy dropped you off yesterday afternoon. I never saw him before."

"Oh, it was no one. He offered to drop me off so I could be home when Malcolm came home. He said he was going to be here last night yet he's not here."

She took a drink of her water. "What's this boy's name?"

"Um, I think that was the door," I said quickly wanting to get out of this situation. I started to turn around, but my father's stern voice stopped me.

"Annabeth, answer your mother," my father said from his seat.

I bit my lip before I said the name. "Percy Jackson."

My parents both looked at me with wide-eyes. My dad looked like he was about to blow the roof off the house.

"PERCY JACKSON?" he yelled, standing up from his chair and running his hands through his hair. He looked at me like I was stupid. "Do you know how dangerous he is? He could have easily taken you somewhere-"

"He's not like that-"

"He's a criminal!" Melanie interrupted. "I should know. I've looked at his file many times knowing that you're going to school with him."

"He's treacherous, unthankful, a bully. He treats with girls with disrespect- I don't want you near him!" my father said.

I sighed. "Well, that's not possible since I'm partners with him for the entire year." Oh no, I shouldn't have told them that.

"WHAT?" they both shouted.

My dad picked up the home phone and started to dial numbers. "I'm going to call the school-"

"I think you're overreacting a tad bit," I said.

Melanie scoffed. "Percy Jackson is part of a dangerous gang. He's the flipping leader of it, Annabeth and you dare put yourself in a car with him!"

"He offered to take me home because I have sprained wrist!"

"You could have asked Katie or someone else besides him," Melanie said.

I crossed my arms above my chest and looked at the food in front of me. "Like I said, he offered. I don't think he'll ever ask me again anyways. He was just there when it happened."

Melanie walked away from the conversation. "I'm done. I don't want to hear his name in my house ever again. I don't want him taking you home. I don't want him near my house."

"It's not just your house," I mumbled.

My father looked at me. "Just try not to get involved with him."

"I'm not getting involved."

"Don't argue with your father," Melanie said from the stove. "Listen to what he says and do it."

I walked towards the entrance/exit to the kitchen. But before I left, I said, "Don't judge him. I did that once and I was wrong."

**SCENE CHANGE**

"I can't believe they overreacted at that," Katie says taking her attention away from the textbook in her hands.

Rachel laughed. "My parents would have done the same thing."

"I know they don't like him, but they shouldn't judge him like that. I feel bad from when I thought all he did was sleep with girls and he doesn't," I said leaving out the part that he's slept with one girl. "I mean, that's what they're doing. They're judging him. I understand that he's the leader of a gang, but we don't know if there is a reason behind it."

"I bet there is," Katie says.

I sighed. "I don't think one person can change that drastically without a reason behind it. Percy wasn't the kind of guy who would do that just for the fun of it."

"You don't know, though," Rachel placed a hand on my knee. "He's not the same so maybe he just wanted to change."

I stared at the book in my hands. "I sure hope not."

**SCENE CHANGE**

I was leaning against a tree in the yard of the school. We were allowed to eat lunch at here or sit out here during free perioud. I was in free period and I just wanted a break from everything that happened this morning. I wonder why Malcolm hasn't shown up yet. He was suppose to be home last night. Hopefully I'll be able to see him when I get home instead of dealing with my parents. I was getting sick of being compared to my brothers. Matthew and Bobby were the little ones, so of course they get more attention as it is. But with Malcolm being in college and at the top of his class, it was really hard to compete with that.

I let out a deep breath, closing my eyes in the warmth. This was the only place I could get away from everything. School was the place where I could be someone special. People saw me for who I am while at home I was compared to someone every day. The sun was shining on my face, making me sigh in happiness. Suddenly it disappeared.

"Hey, sweetheart."

I opened my eyes to the see the one and only, Percy Jackson with his signature grin on his face.

"What are you doing? You're blocking my light," I snapped.

"Most people would want the sunlight to be blocked," he retorted.

I sighed, wanting to go back to my relaxation mode. "I'm not like most people."

"Hah, darn right you're not," he said taking a seat next to me.

I stared at him. "What are you doing?"

"Sitting here. What's the problem? Don't want some company?"

"Actually, I don't," I answered. "Why don't you go hang out with your girlfriend?"

Percy chuckled. "What girlfriend?"

"Oh, look. Percy Jackson doesn't have a girlfriend. Ooh, who's gonna be his next victim?" I asked with a funny tone.

"I don't know. I've dated almost every girl here," he says. "None of them are right for me."

I turned my head in the other direction. The sun was now blocked by clouds. I frowned. I missed my chance of being absorbed in the warm heat.

"So, what are you doing out here all alone?" Percy asked, interrupting my quiet time.

I looked over at him. "Why does it matter to you?"

"Ouch," Percy says while grinning. "I was just wondering."

I glanced up at the sky, waiting for the sun to come out behind the clouds. I wanted to have some sunshine before I go home or what I called it, prison. I let out a sigh. When I felt a hand on my arm, I jumped, realizing that I wasn't sitting here alone. Percy stared at me with his beautiful green eyes. The one thing that kept reminding me that our old friendship was real, not my imagination. However, those same eyes reminded me of the times he would spread things about me that weren't true. I don't know which one was worst.

"What?" I asked.

Percy raised an eyebrow. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," I lied straight through my teeth.

"No, you're not." Great. He still remembers how I look when I'm not all right.

"Why do you care if I'm not fine or not?"

His sea-green eyes stared into mine. "It's nice to ask people if they're okay or not."

"Who knew you were actually nice?" I retorted, pulling my arm away from his touch. Instantly, I missed the warmth from his hand.

Percy shrugged while staring at the ground. No answer. I scoffed, grabbing my backpack from the grass beside me.

"And why do you care anyway?" I snapped standing up from the ground. He glanced up at me, suddenly interested. "You stopped caring after you abandoned me in eighth grade!"

Before anything else could happen, I walked away from the scene, wanting him to leave me alone for the rest of the school year and for all eternity.

I wasn't that lucky.

Percy grabbed my arm from behind me, turning me around to face him. "What is your problem?"

"What is my-what is your problem?" I yelled in his face. His green eyes glared in mine with an expression I couldn't read. "You were the one who turned your back on your friends!" Percy didn't say anything to deny it. "You turned your back on me!"

We stood there in the school yard, looking at each other. His hand was still wrapped around my wrist, his fingers touching my skin. I peeled my arm away from his grasp, not wanting him to touch me at all. I didn't want him to touch me every again. I still loved him, but that still doesn't change what he did and what he still does to me.

"You hurt me. You b-broke," I stopped before saying anything else. "You lied to me. You said you were never going to hurt me... yet you did."

Percy stood there, his hands by his sides. He didn't meet my eyes.

"Where is my best friend?" I asked. "What happened to him?"

He stared at the ground.

"You are not Perseus Jackson," I said. "You are somebody else completely. A stranger."

No response.

"You promised me you weren't going to hurt me. Well, here you are, hurting me more than anybody else."

Percy looked up from the ground and at me, with a trapped emotion in his eyes. "Annabeth, you don't understand what I've gone through. You wouldn't understand why I'm doing what I do. Why I'm in the gang in the first place."

"Then tell me," I said tired from all the fighting and hurt and lies.

He shook his head. I knew his answer before he even said it. "No."

And with that, Percy walked past me, bumping his shoulder against mine as he walked towards the school building. I stood there, breathing heavily and tears emerging in my eyes. He wasn't the Percy I once knew. He will never be the Percy I fell in love with.

OK- now you know the background story about the three weeks before we were assigned the project and he asked me if I would date him if he wasn't a gang leader... and the kiss **(AN: The prologue in the first chapter)**. Now, let's go to the part (the Monday after the fight) where we got the project assigned to us.

And to forwarn you; you have a lot of reading coming your way, readers.

**So, the paragraph at the end is Annabeth talking to -you- the readers. The first seven chapters were the three weeks between the time school started and the time they were in the kitchen doing their project when they kissed. Now, we got about a week and a half (in the story, of course) before we get to the part in the kitchen. Read on, fans. Read on.**

**The real drama begins :D (smiles mischeviously)**

**-HunterofArtemis32**


	8. Chapter 8

**Yassou (hello in Greek) everybody!**

**Who else wants school to end... NOW? I can't wait to be done. It's torture. Grrr.**

**NOW, something completely different then what I just asked, but I want to say thank you for everyone who continues to read my stories (even ones I haven't updated in a while) and who review on the chapters. It means a lot to me. **

**Alrighty, who knows what's going to happen in this chapter? Oh wait, you have to read it. Let's get on with it then! Enjoy.**

**PERCY'S POV:**

"Do you have any ideas why you are here?" Officer Jenkins questioned. His blue eyes stared into mine, not doing anything by means. If this is what he does to get people to start bawling out the crimes they've done, then those people are babies.

I shrugged, rubbing the dust off my leather jacket. I wiped the dirt from my shoulder, not paying attention to the police officer. He didn't scare at me at all. If he thinks wearing a dinky uniform with a shiny, little badge clipped to his shirt pocket makes him look tough, than he's got a lot to learn. I leaned back into the chair, crossing my arms and balancing myself on two legs. The officer stared at me, wanting and trying to get answers out of me. Yeah, right. He also wants me to get up and start doing the dougie. Well dude, hate to break it to you, but I'm not doing either one.

The officer finally gave up and slammed the table that separated us. "Ugh! I can't freaking intimidate this kid! It's like he doesn't even know I'm here."

I smirked, drumming my fingers against the hard table. There was a loud buzz and the officer that was supposed to be getting me to cave, stood from his seat and walked out of the room. I wasn't intimidated by officers anymore. I've been in here enough times to not be scared by them. And it was always for the same charges.

Trespassing. Speeding tickets. Under-age drinking. Stealing. Assault. Blah, blah, blah.

The door opened again as I continued to drum my fingers against the table. Suddenly, a cream-colored file appears in front of my face. I leaned forward, seeing the name on the side tablet. _Perseus Jackson. _

"Open it!" commanded the officer.

I ran my fingers through my hair before opening the file. My picture was in there along with information such as my full name, birth-date, age, parent's names, etc. I looked about fifteen in the picture. It was taken after I got caught for stealing and trespassing. I glanced at the charges. There wasn't many words on the lines besides the things I listed earlier. I wasn't arrested all the time. The only reason I was in here tonight was because a cop caught me drinking and driving.

The police officer was watching me as I continued to read over all the folder. There was a lot of blank lines, but there was numbers next to the charges. I bet they're keeping track of how many times I will do the same thing over again. Not many times for all of them. The most were for trespassing and stealing, since I do most of the supply jobs.

He stared at me with his intense blue eyes. Why does every cop have blue eyes? I mean, come on! Sorry, back to our discussion. I do the supply jobs which means (for the people who don't know what that means) is that I get all the supplies for the recruits that the boss is training. It may sound easy, but it's not. You have to know when to do it and how to do it. Not many people can perform it the way I do, but that is why Percy Jackson is so special.

The officer tapped his fingers against each other. "So, Perseus-"

"Percy," I interrupted him. I hated my full name.

He raised an eyebrow. Police officers hated being interrupted. Yeah, well I hate being brought into the 'intimidation' room. "Percy, do you have any idea why you are here?"

"Let me guess," I said leaning forward. "Um, something to do with under-age drinking and driving at the same time, ya-da, ya-da."

"It may sound like that to you, but you were dangering people's lives. Putting others at stake. Did you think about that before you started driving? Or better yet, drinking?" he asked. Oh, he was good. But I was better.

"Officer Valt, tell me somethin'. Have you ever had a wild side? I mean, before you became a cop. Or was it always your dream to become one? To wear a dinky-looking costume and have a gun that makes you seem better than others, yet you're not?" I smirked, resting my arms on the table.

The officer's eyes seemed shocked by my disrespect. He's not the first. "Mr. Jackson, let me assure you that my personal life is not open to the likes of you-"

"To the likes of you? Are we going old English here or somethin'?" I asked.

"Mr. Jackson, you better learn to keep your mouth shut or I'm gonna-

I wasn't the one to keep his mouth shut. That is why the boss loves me so much. "You're gonna what?" I leaned back into my chair. "Officer Valt, you personally wouldn't dare threaten the life of a gang leader, now would you? Because if you did, that would be pure stupidity."

Right when it looked like the police officer was about to deck me, the door buzzed and opened, bringing in the smell of a police station. I turned around to see my mother, wearing her nicest dress which was getting too old to wear, putting away her wallet. She looked at me with such disappointment in her eyes that it made me look down at the ground.

"He's made bail," said the officer who allowed my mom to come in. She made me stand up as she unlocked my hand-cuffs.

My mother shook her head and walked out of the room, bringing a hand to her mouth. I nodded my head at the two officers, grinning at the one who was talking to me before trailing after my mother.

This was going to be a long night.

**SCENE CHANGE**

When we finally made it home after the silent car ride, my mother sat in a chair and put her head in her hands. This happened every time she would bring me home from the police station. It was more money out of our pockets, more jobs that I have to do. I didn't know what to say besides I'm sorry which I kept saying on the ride home. I never said sorry except to my mother. She was the one who was getting hurt. I wasn't.

"Mom-"

"Just go to bed. I can't deal with this anymore," she said getting up from her seat and walking to her small bedroom. I watched her take off the few pieces of jewelry she had and set them on the coffee stand. My mother's eyes didn't meet mine. I continued to watch her until she shut the door.

I trailed to my bedroom, closing the door behind me. I trugged off my sneakers as I collasped on the bed. It creaked under my sudden weight. Another item on my 'need to get' list. I pulled open my nightstand drawer (no side comments), wanting to get my pack of cigarettes. Something made me stop in my tracks though. The corner of a picture caught my eye. It was hidden under the pack of cigerettes, my gun, and a few sheets of blank papers.

I pulled the couple pictures out of the drawer. The first photo was of Annabeth and I. We were at the beach, smiling at the camera. Her arm was around my waist as I had an arm around her shoulders. I remember that day like it was yesterday. It was a present for graduating elementary school. Well, it was my present, but I asked my mom if she could come.

The second photo was another one of Annabeth and I. It was a close-up. We were sitting on the couch with my arm wrapped around her shoulders. She was laughing in the camera. We were about thirteen years old. The summer after seventh grade.

The last photo made my stomach churn with the knot of guilt. I glanced at the picture. It was at eighth grade graduation. My little brother was sitting on my lap as I sat in my blue graduation cap and outfit. We were both grinning into the camera. I was extremely happy that I was finished with middle school.

I threw the photos back into the drawer, slamming it closed. The picture of my brother and I continued to dance around in my head as I turned my back to the nightstand, trying to fall asleep.

**SCENE CHANGE**

Mrs. Dodds was assigning us a project.

With our math partners.

Are you freaking kidding me?

I glanced over at Annabeth who looked like she was about to burst. Her lips were set in a firm line and she was about to hit something. I personally think Mrs. Dodds was handing us a first-class ticket to killing each other. Well, she wouldn't have to deal with me for the rest of the year. I rested my head in my hands.

I mean, it probably wouldn't be a problem with anyone else 'cause I could get them to do the project by themselves. With Annabeth, that's a different story. She would strap me to a chair and make me sit there and force me to do something. I highly doubt I could get out of this situation.

I could ask Mrs. Dodds for a different partner.

What the heck am I thinking?

Annabeth held her hands in fists, swallowing the fact that she hated being my partner during school, now she has deal with me after school. Maybe this would be fun. I smirked.

"Whose house do you want to work at?" she asked.

I shrugged glancing over at her. "We can work at yours."

"Um, that may be a problem."

"Why?"

Annabeth bit her lip before answering. "My parents hate you."

I chuckled. "I'm not surprised at all."

"Can we just work at your house?" she said turning to look at me. "It would be easier since you only have your mom and brother-"

"Only my mom," I corrected her.

Annabeth raised an eyebrow. "But-"

"Um, why don't we just work somewhere else other than our homes?" I said, quickly changing the subject. "The place where you nerds go or something?"

"Do you mean the library, Percy?" she asked, a small smile on her face. I shook my head. "Can you handle being in a library?"

"Why don't we just go to my hang-out?" I said getting from my seat and grabbing my backpack from the ground.

Annabeth stayed in her seat. "You mean where your gang hangs out?"

"Why? Are you scared?" I smirked.

"No, but it isn't like, personal property or something?"

"Yeah, but I'm the leader. I can invite anyone I want."

Annabeth pursed her lips for a second before collecting her things. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as she did it. I waited impatiently, tapping my fingers rapidly on the desk.

"Which vehicle do you have today?" she asked on our way out of the classroom.

I grinned, turning around so she could see it. She instantly groaned. "My bike."

**SCENE CHANGE:**

**AT THE GARAGE**

I opened the side-door to the garage, Annabeth following me inside. Some of the guys were already there. Nico and Grover were lounging on the couch, laughing at a stupid joke Beckendorf made. He was working on one of the cars in the shop. Annabeth sat next to Nico on the couch, looking a little uncomfortable being in the gang hang-out.

Nico was eating a twizzler. "What are you doing here, Annabeth?"

"You know that stupid math project we have to do?" I said. He nodded. "She's my partner."

"Oh, joy," Grover muttered but I heard it loud and clear.

I stole a twizzler from the bag, walking over to where Beckendorf stood. "What's up, man?"

"Nothin' much. Can you finish this for me? Silena's on her way over here and I need to clean up real quick," Beckendorf said running up the small stairs up to the small apartment we owned.

Annabeth appeared at my side. "When are we going to start on the project?"

"Whenever you want to. I need to do this," I answered.

She raised an eyebrow. "Um, I'm not doing all the work, Jackson."

"I never said that, Chase. I said I need to finish this and then I'll help," I said tugging on a loose wire.

"Good, because I'll let Mrs. Dodds know that you didn't help and she'll fail you," Annabeth smirked.

I glared at her. "How many times do I have to tell you? Don't test me."

"Fine. I need an idea though on what we want to do. And I need your help to figure it out."

"Just use one of those topics in the textbook," I said not worrying about the stupid project.

"Thanks. That helps me a whole lot, Percy," she said sarcastically walking off towards the couch.

I grinned. About an hour later, I was finished with the engine and tires. Annabeth was still wondering what to do for the project. I honestly don't give a crap about the thing. It's just another grade. I don't even care about going to college. I need to stay here and take care of my mom. I rather stick with the life I have now, then leave her alone.

I sat down next Annabeth, looking over her shoulder as she studied the page. "What topic do you have in mind?" I asked, taking a sip of my water.

She sighed. "Which topic is easiest for you?"

"The first topic."

She laughed. "Typical Percy."

I grinned, peering over her shoulder to look at the first chapter of the textbook. The light breeze from the fan made me catch a whiff of her shampoo. Strawberry. The same kind we used when we were younger. I should know. I used to love it. It used to be one of my favorite smells. Annabeth's strawberry shampoo. My mom's blue chocolate chip cookies.

"What are you doing?" Annabeth asked.

I realized that my fingers were running through her hair. They were tangled in her blonde curls. Her eyes looked as shocked as mine must have been. I pulled my hand away from her hair, suddenly interested in the textbook in her hands. Annabeth excused herself, walking towards the restroom. She shut the door behind her.

I leaned back into the couch, wondering what just happened.

**ANNABETH'S POV:**

Did Percy Jackson and I just have a moment?

**Oooh! I loved writing that! **

**I wanted to show some that Percy still remembers things between him and Annabeth. He just doesn't think about them often. Something has to trigger it. **

**I loved writing the first part of the chapter with Percy and the police officers. I read some to my mom and her response was, "You wrote that? It was actually funny!" Oh, how I love you, mother. **

**What'd you think of the small moment between them? I wanted to bring some other things into the story before the kitchen scene.**

**-HunterofArtemis32**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hello everyone.**

**It's been a while since I've updated anything. I've just been busy. How's everyone's summer? I hope it's been great. **

**Enjoy the chapter. **

**PERCY'S POV:**

I stared at my reflection in the bathroom mirror. Beckendorf just ordered us some new bandanas. I grabbed the red and black bandana and tired it around my forehead. I slipped on my leather jacket as I exited the bathroom. My mother sat at the dining table with bills covering the table. I kissed the top of her head and took the largest banana from the fruit bowl. I trailed down the stairs with a few other kids from our apartment complex who were running to catch the school bus. I went to the garage and mounted my blue flamed motorcycle. I revved the engine as I slid on the helmet, tucking my new bandana into the top. The garage door opened from the button on my keys and I drove out of the small area onto the road.

**SCENE CHANGE**

I leaned against the lockers, smirking at Beckendorf. He was running his fingers through his girlfriend's hair. Silena was out of school today and she decided to come to see her boyfriend. I was making fun of him because she wasn't the kind of girl who liked to kiss all the time and she watched her actions. Beckendorf didn't really care. He cared about her. I could tell by the expression on his face. Nico knuckle-punched me when he walked in and I threw my backpack strap over my shoulder, walking with my cousin towards first period.

"Hey, is Annabeth coming over again tonight?" he asked while we walked.

I shrugged. "How am I supposed to know?"

"Well, you guys are partners. Shouldn't you know where to meet?"

"In my book, no. I don't work on projects," I answered. "But either I work on the project or Annabeth will tell the teacher and I'll fail the course. I much rather deal with Annabeth's wrath than Mrs. Dodds."

Nico shook his head, agreeing with me. "So, what's up with you and her anyway?"

"Why do you care?" I then turned around, pointing at him with a smirk plastered on my face. "Oh, that's right, you have a crush on her."

"I used to. I don't anymore," he said blushing.

I laughed and threw my arm around his shoulders. "I'm just giving you a hard time."

He pushed my arm off. "Seriously, what is up with you two?"

I stopped to face him. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, you guys seem to be getting some-what closer. You're not getting up in each other's faces. You're not yelling at each other. People think the world has stopped turning because it seems like an alternate universe," Nico explained.

"I think you're exaggerating a little bit."

Grover appeared from behind me eating a donut. "No, it's true. Everyone's talking about you two not ripping each other's faces off. I find it a little shocking myself."

Nico pointed at the guy next to me. "If he's talking about it, than the entire school is."

"Well, it's not something they need to be talking about. Nothing's going on between us. I still hate her and she still hates me. End of discussion."

I turned around, leaving Grover and Nico to tell the entire school board the truth. Nothing was going on between Annabeth and I. Just because we had a small, tiny moment- you know it wasn't even that, it was less- you know what, whatever! It doesn't even mean anything.

**ANNABETH'S POV:**

Katie sprayed her water everywhere after I got done telling her what happened between Percy and I at the gang's garage. Rachel was just shaking her head with a mischevious smile on her face. I look at her suspiciously. She just shrugged, but kept smiling.

"You had a moment with Percy Jackson?" Katie yelled.

I covered her mouth before anyone could hear her. "I don't think he wanted me to tell anybody. I mean, unless it counted as a moment to him. It probably didn't. He has the prettiest girls all wrapped around him, so I don't mean a thing to him."

"Are you jealous of those girls?" Rachel asked.

I started to laugh. "Are you kidding me? No way. I may really like him, but that doesn't mean I want to be apart of his game. He's a player, a jerk. Why would I even want to put myself in that position anyway? All he's going to do is hurt me in the end. It's a waste of time."

Katie took another drink of her water. "I just don't want you to end up with him."

"I'm not going to," I said looking over at the school building. We were sitting outside, on a pinic table, enjoying our lunch when drama entered. I stiffened up when I noticed Percy and his friends walk out of school, laughing as they did.

"I pray you don't," Rachel muttered eating a bite of her sandwich.

I continued to look at Percy and of course, he glanced over at where we sat. I could already see his smirk on his face so I turned away quickly to look at my lunch. The sandwich in front of me looked delicious. Katie looked behind her and groaned. I heard footsteps coming over here and I made a mental note to never look at him for too long.

"Hello girls," Percy said with his deep voice. My eyes didn't look anywhere. "Leave." I already knew he was talking about Rachel and Katie.

Rachel stood her ground. "Why should we? We were sitting here first."

"It's not Kindergarten, red," he retorted rudely. I felt his sea-green eyes on me. "I want to talk to Chase here. Alone."

"Guys, just give us a few minutes," I said looking at my two best friends. Their expressions read that they didn't want to leave, but no one wants to mess with a gang leader, especially with his dangerous crew around.

Katie and Rachel packed their things up and quickly ran for the hills. Percy sat down across from me while his friends disappeared. We sat in an awkward silence. I met his eyes and crossed my arms above my chest. "What do you want?"

"I just want to have a friendly conversation between partners," he answered sarcastically with a grin.

I scoffed. "What do you want, Jackson?"

"I want to bring something to your attention," Percy leaned forward onto the table. "Everyone seems to be talking about us. Supposedly, we're friends now."

I raised an eyebrow. "And you're here why?"

"Have you've been telling people how we used to be friends?" Percy asked, his green eyes glaring into mine.

"No. Why would I? Those memories are long gone. They're history, according to you. Why? Have you told people about our past friendship?"

"I haven't told anyone. I mean, unless you count your two best friends because I know that you tell red-head and math geek everything."

I leaned closer towards him. "Those are my friends. You can make fun of me all you want, but leave my friends out of it! They've done nothing towards you."

"Well, kitty does likes to scratch." Junior year appeared in my head.

I rolled my eyes. "Are we done?"

He stood up from his seat, his green eyes hiding his emotions and the reasons on why he changed. "I wish we were." I knew he was talking about the project. He started to walk away.

"Where are we meeting to work?" I asked, grabbing my backpack from the ground.

Percy shrugged, turning around to face me. "Don't care. I'll just see you after school."

This boy was about to drive me insane.

**AFTER SCHOOL:**

There was a knock on the door. My brothers, Bobby and Matthew ran for the door. They always had to fight about who opens the door. Who chooses what to watch after homework. What to do on the weekends. Little boys. They drive you crazy, but you still love them.

"Annabeth!" Matthew cried. "Some boy is here for you!"

I raised an eyebrow, looking up from the book in my hands. "Who?"

"I don't know, but he has a red and black bandana wrapped around his head!"

My whole body froze.

After a few seconds, the shock left my body. I stood up from the couch and walked over to the front door. Percy stood there, leaning against the doorframe, clad in his leather jacket and jeans with his signature smirk on his face. My brothers looked at him for a minute then returned to the living room, running and jumping on the couch like they always do. I crossed my arms.

'What are you doing here?"

"Here to work on our project, partner," he answered with a grin. He looked at what I was wearing. Ripped shorts and a baggy long-sleeved t-shirt. He raised an eyebrow.

"Do you have a problem with what I'm wearing? Not enough skin showing for you, Mr. Jackson?" I asked angrily. I liked what I wear. It fits my personality (so I'm told).

Percy chuckled, shaking his head. He looked over my shoulder. "Are you gonna let me in or what?"

I glanced over at where my brothers sat, watching the television screen that was airing _Phineas and Ferb_. The gang leader in front of me was getting impatient. My parents weren't home, but if they walked in and saw Percy, they would skin him alive and ground me. But I need to work on this project. I'm not just going to put his name on it and turn it in. He's going to help whether he likes it or not. I sighed, rubbing my head.

"Come on in," I said moving so that he could walk in.

I led him to the living room. He set his backpack on the floor next to the desk. My brothers changed the channel on the TV, looking at the boy who was looking around the house.

"What's your name?" Matthew asked.

Bobby frowned. "I was going to ask that."

I rolled my eyes at their constant bickering.

"Percy," the gang leader answered, grinning at the boys.

Matthew looked confused. "Annie, isn't he the one that Mommy and Daddy don't like?"

I hated the nick-name he called me, but I led it slide. "Yes, but we're working on a project so we need to work together. Mom and Dad will understand that... hopefully," I mumbled the last word but I knew Percy heard it.

He glanced over at me. "If your parent's don't want me here, then I can leave." At the end of the sentence, his adorable grin appeared on his face.

"Well, aren't you so generous?" I said sarcastically.

He chuckled, shrugging. "I'm such a good person."

I rolled my eyes. "I'll be right back. I'm gonna go get my books."

When I reached my room, I dug through my backpack and got them out. I grabbed the notebook off my desk and put it with the textbooks. A sudden knock on my door made me jump and drop all the books. I turned around quickly and saw Percy standing in the doorway with a grin on his face. He looked around my room while stepping out of the hallway.

"It's different," I heard him mumble.

I raised an eyebrow. "Huh?"

"From the last time I saw it," he answered, rubbing the back of his neck.

I was surprised. "You remember what my room looks like?"

"Don't flatter yourself, Chase. I just got a glimpse of it from seeing it now."

Percy walked over to where I was as I knelt down to grab the books. The gang leader in front of me slid his hands into his pockers. He glanced at my desk. The book, _A Walk to Remember_, which was the one he gave me for my ninth birthday, sat on it. He leaned over and grabbed it. His green eyes scanned the cover page then turned to look at the page inside. I saw the picture's outline. After he read the note he wrote in there nine years ago **(AN: Chapter 3 if you don't remember the note)**, he closed the book and set it back down on the desk. Percy looked at the textbooks in my hands then met my eyes. We didn't say a word to each other.

"Um, let's go down to the kitchen. I have to keep an eye out on my brothers," I said awkwardly.

He shrugged. "I don't care where we do it. I just wanna get it done."

As we trailed down the stairs, I muttered under my breath, "I'm right there with you."

About an hour later, we were sitting at the counter of the kitchen. Percy was writing down the notes I had while I designed the poster board. Our chapter's title stood out as I contemplated what to do next. I heard Percy chuckling a few feet away from me.

"What?" I asked when I noticed that he was staring at me.

He pointed at the pen in my mouth. "You always did that. Whenever you would concentrate on something, you would have the end of the pen in your mouth and eyebrows in a weird angle."

I was shocked. "I thought you forget everything about me."

"That's kind of hard considering we were friends for many, many years," he replied.

"Do you remember everything?" I was curious on how much he remembered.

Percy laughed. "From the time you threw up in Kindergarten to the time on the roof where you told me about your parent's divorce."

I suddenly felt uncomfortable. "Please don't tell anyone about that."

"About your parent's divorce? I know plenty of people-"

"No, the reason behind it."

He turned his attention onto his notes. "Why would I tell people? That was serious."

"Thank you," I whispered. I thought he would have told a million of people. Maybe he still had a little bit of good left in him. He didn't do anything to anknowledged the fact that he heard me, but I had a funny feeling that he did.

**Well, I hope that approved of my absence. I have a great idea for the next chapter. It will be leading up to the moment we've all been waiting for :D **

**NEWS: I'm working on the next chapter for A Troubled Boy with Green Eyes. It's still in a work in progress. Writer's block really sucks sometimes. **

**What do you think of the chapter?**

**-HunterofArtemis32**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hello my dear fans.**

**Thanks for getting this story to 200 REVIEWS! I LOVE YOU GUYS!**

**I'm glad everyone enjoyed the chapter of **_**A Troubled Boy with Green Eyes**_**. I know a lot of people were begging for it and wanting me to update it! I promise you it won't be seven months for me to update again. I just had a bad case of writer's block. And anyways, I already have the next chapter in my head, and the rest of the story :)**

**Now, for this story, from this chapter and so on, it's going to get really good. The story will be getting to certain parts to where you guys will be happy or wanting to throw anything you can at me :) **

**Enjoy the chapter, everybody! **

**ANNABETH'S POV:**

The end of the week was almost here which meant that project will be due next Monday. It's Thursday. Percy and I still have to put all the notes on the poster and include some diagrams that explains the steps of the lesson. The bell rang loudly. I rested my head on my arms, groaning softly while waiting for class to begin. I had a massive headache and all I wanted to do was go home, change into my pajamas, and sleep. Unfortunately, I had to be at a place called school.

I was drifting to sleep when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I looked up, regretting it when I recognized the sea-green eyes and signature smile. "Hit the books too hard last night, Sleeping Beauty?"

I rubbed my forehead. "Shut up, Jackson. I'm not in the mood right now."

"Rawr. I swear one day you're gonna have to cut those kitty-claws of yours," he said sitting down in his chair and leaning back into it.

"Don't you have somewhere to be? I mean, doesn't your gang cut class or something in the middle of the first semester?" I asked annoyed by the fact he keeps bugging me. I know he's doing it on purpose.

Percy shrugged, grinning. "Maybe. Why? Do you want me out of your hair?"

"Yes," I grumbled.

"Well, if you have to know, I was thinking about cutting class. Ditching. Doesn't that sound like fun?" he said sarcastically. I glanced over at him and saw his smirk on his face. "I bet Miss I-do- everything-perfect doesn't like the idea of skipping school."

I rubbed my eyes, lying my head on my arms. "It actually doesn't sound like a bad idea," I blurted out before stopping myself.

Percy's look was hilarious. His eyebrows scrunched up and his mouth was almost wide-open. He started to laugh. "Miss Annabeth Chase wants to skip school? I believe the end of the world has just arrived."

"Shut up, Percy."

He was really starting to push it. "Oh, come on, Annie. Don't you have a sense of humor?"

I sat up and glared at him. "No! I have a freaking headache and all you're doing is making it worse! All I want to do is go home and sleep, but I can't do that, now can I? Now, please? Just shut up and leave me alone!" After my sudden outburst, Percy really did look a little shocked at how I yelled at him. I felt the temptation of smirking at him rising up in me, but I decided against it.

Percy leaned in closer so that our heads were almost touching. "Let me tell you something. It's very easy to remember." He put his lips next to my ear and whispered, "Don't push your limits."

When he pulled back, our eyes met. He was serious. I could tell by the way he was looking at me. SMACK! I jumped from the sound of Mrs. Dodds slamming the attendance sheet on our desk. We both looked away from each other to look at the steaming teacher in front of us. Her hands were on her hips and she was tapping her foot, apparently fed up with our interruptions.

"Mr. Jackson," she said looking at Percy. "Miss Chase," she said glancing at me. "If you guys are done, I would like to continue my class," she said through gritted teeth.

Percy leaned back into his chair and grinned. "Well, I appreciate the thought, Mrs. Dodds. You are oh, so generous."

I shook my head, hiding my face from the other students. He was about to get us in big trouble. He may not care what was on his high schoool resume, but I did! I chose to speak up. "Mrs. Dodds, Percy does not mean what he says."

"Well, Miss Chase, since you didn't do anything wrong, I guess you don't have to go where Mr. Jackson's going," the teacher said.

Percy continued to grin. "Where I'm going? I hope there's pretty girls."

I sighed, groaning miserably. I felt awful. Sweat started to drench my forehead. "Um, Mrs. Dodds, is there any way we can open a window or turn the AC up?" My head was pounding. "Please, Mrs. Dodds."

She glanced at me, but her expression changed. "Annabeth, are you feeling all right?"

"No, ma'am. I'm... really, really-" I didn't get the sentence out because next thing I know, my eyes shut and everything turned black.

**PERCY'S POV:**

I don't know what made me do it, but when Annabeth's eyes rolled backwards and fell out of her seat, I jumped out of my seat and caught her head before she hit the floor. She had passed out from her headache and the heat. Her forehead was drenched with sweat. She looked really pale compared to her normal tan skin. Mrs. Dodds sent a student out to go get the principal and to call for an ambulance. I ran my hand through her hair, brushing the strands out of her face.

"Mrs. Dodds, an ambulance is on the way," said Tom who came back with the principal and the school nurse. Mrs. Watson (the nurse) came running towards Annabeth.

She checked her wrist and shook her head. "Her pulse is low."

"Give her mouth to mouth," I said.

The nurse glanced at me. "Yes."

"We need someone to do it," Tom said.

Another classmate groaned. "Um, wouldn't it be weird if a girl nurse gave a girl mouth to mouth?"

"It's an emergency so it doesn't matter."

"She's gonna die if someone doesn't do something quick!" said another student.

I looked over at Annabeth and she was breathing slowly. I'm gonna regret this, but this is an emergency. I leaned forward and plugged her nose. In the eighth grade, we learned safety rules and what you have to do if someone has passed out and hasn't woken up yet. I was about to go against it, but she's dying. I honestly don't want someone dying if I could have done something. I may be a gang leader and I may not like her, but I can do something. So, taking a deep breath, I hovered over her and pressed my lips to hers.

**ANNABETH'S POV:**

My eyes fluttered open and the first thing I saw was a white ceiling. My head was still pounding and I was attached to an IV. I was in a hostipal. I looked over to my right and saw my parents. My mother was wiping her eyes in a tissue when I slightly groaned, trying to get more comfortable. Both of them looked over here and my mother gasped happily, walking over to me. My father held my hand as my mother held me.

"What happened?" I asked my throat dry.

My father handed me a cup of water. "You passed out in class. The doctors said you had a migraine and the heat made you pass out. If it wasn't for that boy, you might not be here with us."

"What boy?" I said, raising an eyebrow.

My dad smiled lightly. "Perseus Jackson."

"What'd he do?"

My mother ran her hand through my hair. "He saved you, Annabeth. He did the mouth-to-mouth sequence and it put air into your lungs. Enough air so that you could stay here with us."

"That boy is still a troublemaker, but I thanked him for saving you," my father told me.

"He saved me?" I asked in shock.

My parents both nodded. "Yes."

The first thing I will say when I see him will be thank you.

The second thing I will say, "You kissed me?"

**MONDAY MORNING**

Katie hugged me tightly. "Gosh, I missed you!"

I laughed. "I was only gone Friday."

"I know, but it was boring without you," Rachel said.

"So, is it true?" Katie asked.

I raised an eyebrow. "What's true?"

"Did Percy Jackson kiss you?" Rachel inquired.

I rolled my eyes. "I already explained it to you. He was doing it because it was an emergency. Honestly, I wouldn't even call it kiss. I was passed out, remember?"

"I know, but what if-"

"No," I said sternly. "I was passed out and he did the right thing."

Rachel shrugged. "It's still surprising that Percy, the mean and selfish gang leader, did a nice thing."

"Yeah," Katie agreed.

I sighed, irritated. "What don't we just forget about it? I'm better now and the doctor gave me some medicine for when I do have headaches, it'll keep it from turning into... the result of me passing out."

Rachel nodded. "I'm still shocked-"

"I don't want to hear another thing about Percy Jackson," I said shutting my locker and walking away from them. They kept nagging me about the 'kiss' between me and Percy. I mean, honestly, that didn't count. I was passed out and he did it only because it was the right thing to do.

Right?

**IN MATH **

I tapped my pencil rapidly, waiting for Percy to walk in the room. I haven't thanked him yet for saving me. The project was due today, but Mrs. Dodds gave us to the end of the week to turn it in. Right before the bell rang, the gang leader walked in, wearing his red and black bandana. His friend, Grover Underwood gave him a fist-punch before they went opposite ways. Percy noticed me in my seat and I instantly felt his green eyes lock onto me. He walked to his seat and sat next to me.

I was the first one to speak. "Um, I wanted to say thank you for saving me. It was really nice of you to do that."

Percy didn't respond for a while. "Well, don't get used to it. Don't go passing out on me just for me to kiss you."

"Excuse me?" I asked turning towards him.

"Do I have to repeat myself?"

I scoffed. "You know I thought maybe you just had a little good in you, but I was wrong."

"I have good in me," Percy replied.

"It must be buried deep down inside you," I said.

I then realize how close we actually are. Each time we would snap a remark at each other, we would get closer. Right now, his face was a few feet away from me. His eyes met mine and it looked like his face wasn't as tense as it seemed to be. His green orbs showed a different emotion in them. Something I didn't recognize. When the bell rang, we pulled away from each other, interested in the words on the board, even though he probably couldn't read them.

For the rest of the period, we didn't speak or look at each other.

At the end of the period, it was a whole different matter.

When I walked out of the class, after collecting tonight's homework, Percy was walking with his fellow gang members. I needed to know when we were gonna finish the project. I took a deep breath and walked towards him. One of the gang members patted Percy on the arm, making the gang leader turn around. He crossed his arms above his chest when I stopped in front of him.

"When did you want to finish the project, Jackson?" I asked.

Percy grinned. "Whenever I'm free."

"Um, no."

"Uh, yes."

I raised an eyebrow. "Do you honestly think I would let you pick when we're gonna finish it? I'm not a dumb blonde."

"Are you sure about that?" one of his members said in the background.

I felt a little offended. "Yes," I looked at the gang leader. "I want a good grade on this project. Mrs. Dodds was nice enough to let us have more time."

"Because of your little accident," another member said.

"Shut it," Percy growled at them. He looked at me. "My place. Tomorrow afternoon. I'm kind of busy tonight."

"I'm gonna hold you to your word, because if you don't-"

"I know. You'll tattle on me," Percy chuckled with his friends. "I'm not an idiot."

I smirked. "Are you sure about that?"

He glared at me and dismissed his gang members. He grabbed his backpack from the ground and turned towards me. I rolled my eyes and started to walk off.

"Oh, and you're welcome," he called. "Wise Girl."

I stopped in my tracks and turned around to look at him. He winked at me before making his way towards his friends. I threw my hands up, confused by his actions. He was about to drive me insane.

**What'd you think of the chapter? **

**What'd you think of the small 'kiss' between them? I wanted to add some moments between them before the real kiss in the kitchen. OOH, you probably can't wait for that moment, but you have to :( **

**Sorry. Or am I? ;)**

**-HunterofArtemis32**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey everybody!**

**Did y'all like the last chapter? I believe many of you did because almost every one of you were wanting more. I will tell you, since I love you all, that the kitchen scene will be coming up soon. A few more things have to happen before that moment though. **

**One more thing, **_**A Troubled Boy with Green Eyes**_** got almost 1900 REVIEWS! WOWZERS! I am so happy right now. Thank you SO much!**

**Alrighty then. I think that's all the announcements.**

**Enjoy the chapter!**

**PERCY'S POV:**

I sat in the seat of the vehicle, waiting for the rest of the supplies to be put in the car. I heard the wail of sirens in the distance. Beckendorf slid inside, slamming the door behind him. Nico jumped into the backseat. The supplies were all secured in the back. I grabbed the wheel and revved the engine, making the getaway. I saw the outlines of the red and blue lights from the police. Nico glanced behind us and the look on his face told me that they were close. I slammed on the gas.

"GO, GO, GO!" Nico shouted, ducking his head as gunshots rammed into the back of my car.

I looked in the rearview mirror and saw that the police were still behind us.

"Where's everyone else?" I asked checking the speed-monitor. Seven-five. Eighty. Eighty-five. Ninety.

Beckendorf glanced at his watch. "Probably on the highway by now."

"All right," I said. "I want both of you to watch those cars." They both turned their heads and watched them secretly. "Tell me when they get passed the gate."

"Why?" Nico asked.

I rolled my eyes. "Just do what I say."

Beckendorf turned and noticed what I was about to do. "Nice."

"I know," I smirked.

Nico groaned loudly. "What are you going to do?"

I pressed on the gas harder. Ninety-five. "When they get to the gate, I'm gonna spin around and go the other way. They'll be so surprised that they won't have time to react. I'll go through the gate and we'll be on the highway in no time. That's how we're gonna get out of here."

"You are a pure genius on how to escape!" Nico exclaimed.

I shrugged. "Tons of practice."

"They just passed the gate," Beckendorf insisted.

I let my foot off the gas slowly. "Perfect."

When it was the right time, I let my foot go off the gas and I pressed down on the brake, spinning the tires so that the car would spin around. The police were surprised that they spun their wheels into the opposite direction. I revved the engine and slammed on the gas, driving through the middle and into the gate. The gate window smashed as the car ran into it. I drove out onto the road and towards the exit to the highway.

"Oh yeah, baby!" Beckendorf laughed.

Nico gave me a punch on the shoulder. "You are the best!"

"Let's get out of here," I grinned, pressing on the gas.

**NEXT DAY AT SCHOOL:**

**GYMNASIUM- PEP RALLY**

Grover spit out the water that was in his mouth and onto the students in front of him as we finished the story about last night. The student who got the most sprayed on turned around to say something, but the glare he got from us made him swallow the words and face the gym floor. We were dangerous. People didn't mess with us. Most were scared, others were terrified, and the brave ones usually got a black-eye or something. Nothing major. Unless they were girlls. With them, we would just put on our charm and break their heart. Easy as pie.

"Wow," Grover said amazed. "I missed one of the best nights of our gang history."

Beckendorf chuckled beside me, taking a drink out of his water bottle. "There'll be other times."

"Why do we keep having the pep rally's?" Nico asked entering the conversation. "I mean, I understand we have big games, but we have pep rally's all the time. It's get boring sometimes. The same cheers, the same music. Gah, wake me when it ends," he said closing his eyes and throwing his hood up over his head. Suddenly the buzzer from the scoreboard ringed and Nico jumped up, surprised by the sudden noise.

Beck and I started laughing. His facial expression was hilarious. He glared at us as we continued to laugh at him. Grover shook his head and rolled his eyes. Typical Nico. Always getting woke up by loud things. He didn't have the best of luck.

Music started playing through the speakers. The cheerleaders were beginning to their annual dance and cheer as the same song played. We watched with such anticipiation that we were leaning against the wall of the gym sleeping and snoring.

We're so supportive.

Hear the sarcasm?

I bet you do.

**SCENE CHANGE**

Beckendorf threw his arm around my shoulder, dragging me with the gang. "Who knew that you would be such a good gang leader?"

"Thanks for the support, man," I said jokingly.

Out of nowhere, a hand gripped the back of my leather jacket and I was about to knock somebody out before I realized that it was Annabeth. Her arms were crossed above her chest with her eyebrow raised. Normal look. Beckendorf glanced over at me with an 'uh-oh' expression. Crap.

"What?" I asked.

"We need to work on our project," she stated.

I shrugged. "Yeah, I know. Doesn't mean we have to."

"It's due tomorrow."

"And?" I said raising an eyebrow.

Annabeth scoffed and turned to look at my best friend standing next to me. "Is there any way I could steal him away from you for a little while? We need to finish our project, whether he likes it or not," she said glaring at me again.

Beckendorf shook his head, pushing me towards her. "Go ahead and take him. I'll handle the gang for the time you're gone, Perce."

"I hate you," I muttered but loud enough for him to hear.

He grinned. "No, you don't."

"I do. Be ready to wake up in a deep, black hole," I threatened.

Beck raised his hands in surrender and continued to grin. "See you later, man!" And with that, he left me standing in the middle of the hall with an angry Annabeth. Yay.

I turned to look at her. "What is the big deal about this project?"

"The big deal?" she asked. "If it's not clear, I actually want to graduate high school with a career set in my future," Annabeth explained. "I want to pass this class. I want to graduate and get into a good college to get a great career out of it. I understand that to you gang guys, you probably don't care about this stuff, but to some others, it's a big deal. Which it is to me."

I nodded, swallowing the insults down my throat. I grabbed the car keys from my back pocket and swung them in my hand. "OK. Let's get it done for your perfect record."

Annabeth gave a small smile. "Thank you."

"Don't expect me to do this all the time. And for your information, I want to pass this class. I much rather fail another class than get Mrs. Dodds again."

She laughed. "I think that's the same for everyone else. Besides, I think she'll pass you anyway even if you did fail. She doesn't want to deal with you another semester."

I glared at her. I grabbed my textbook from my locker, slamming it shut. Annabeth followed me to the parking lot. "Where are we going?" she asked while we got closer to my truck.

"My house," I answered unlocking the doors.

She sighed. "It's better than mine."

"Yeah, I really don't feel like getting killed tonight," I said as we climbed into the truck.

Annabeth replied, "I don't feel like cleaning up my living room either."

"Oh no, your dad will kill me right on the doorstep. I wouldn't even be able to step into your house before he came out with the shotgun," I said grinning.

We drove out of the school parking lot with Annabeth messing with the radio. She switched the stations until she stopped on the song "_Drive By_" by _Train_. I bobbed my head to the beat. I started humming the tune while she tapped her fingers on the window.

"_Because I really fell for you_," I sung. The song was catchy. "_Oh I swear to you, I'll be there for you. This is not a drive b-b-y-y_!" we both started to sing along. "_Just a shy guy looking for a two-ply. Hefty bag to hold m-y-y love_," Annabeth began clapping. "_When you move me, everything is groovy. They don't like it, sue me. Mm, the way you do me_," she laughed as we continued to sing. "_Oh, I swear to you, I'll be there for you. This is not a drive b-b-y-y!_"

After the song finished, we both started laughing. Annabeth sighed, leaning her head against the window. I turned the radio down as an awkward silence started to emerge between us. I've been noticing that we've been having- dare, I say it- like, moments. I mean, me running my fingers through her hair the other day. Me 'kissing' her. Our little comments about her dad killing me. And now this. What is going on? Am I- gah- feeling different towards her?

When we got to my apartment complex, I parked my truck in its normal parking space and shut the door behind me, throwing my bag over my shoulder and my black-and-red bandana wrapped around my head, signaling that I was here. Annabeth followed me into the apartment building, taking in her surroundings. The smile that stayed on her face as she passed the few kids who wore the same shirt every day to school made them smile back. I've never seen them smile other than the few times I've showed them how to draw or show them my motorcycle.

I held the door open for the mother who had five children after her husband left while she was pregnant with the fifth child. She smiled up at me and ran a hand through her youngest child's hair. I shot a grin back and said hello to my doorman. He threw me the package I received every two weeks. It was the money I earned from the gang business. He tilted his hat at Annabeth who stayed behind me the whole time.

"Another girlfriend, Jackson?" said one of the teenage boys who lived here. His name was Paul and he knew what I did. He also knew I date-and-dump. He also got on my freaking nerves.

"No," I growled back.

I trailed up the stairs until we reached the third floor. I unlocked the door to my house and kept it open for her as she walked into the small division where the living room and kitchen didn't meet completely. Annabeth seemed so out of place in this area.

Maybe that's why I was so determined to never bring her here.

**ANNABETH'S POV:**

When I saw the area he lived in, I instantly felt like I was home. I don't know what it was. Seeing all the kids who enjoyed playing with the old toys from years ago. Seeing everyone treating each other with respect and love. And seeing Percy helping out the poor mom... it just made my stomach flutter.

His house was small, but spacious. Comfy. I would love to live in a place like this. No two-stories homes. No designer clothing. No rich parents. Just a small, comfy house to live in with parents who talked to me every day. That was my dream. I entered the kitchen to see his mother, Sally Jackson standing at the table, searching through her bag. She turned to greet her son but stopped when she saw me.

"Mom, you remember Annabeth?" Percy said behind me. He stepped into the kitchen, threw his stuff down on the table, gave his mom a kiss on the cheek and jumped onto the counter. He grabbed an apple, taking a bite out of it.

Sally gasped. "Annabeth?" She ran over to me and took me into her embrace. I wrapped my arms around her. "Oh, how you've grown!" She said, pulling away and looking at me. "Oh, you've gotten so beautiful! I missed you, sweetie!"

"I missed you too," I smiled. I never got this at home.

Percy took another bite of his apple. "Mom, you're gonna suffocate her."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I just missed seeing you around here," she said. Sally glanced at her son who was enjoying his apple. "What exactly happened between you?"

"We went separate ways," he answered getting off the counter. He opened the fridge and crinkled his nose as he rummaged through the stuff.

Sally frowned but it quickly disappeared. She grabbed her bag off the table and gave me another hug. "I would love to stay longer and talk, sweetie, but I need to get to work." She wrapped her coat around her shoulders and opened the door. "OK, the rules while I'm gone. Behave yourselves. No funny business. Percy, there's stuff for sandwiches. And please, don't burn my house down!"

"Yes, Mom!" he called back.

"See you later, honey," she said to me and closed the door behind her. It turned silent. I decided to start.

I got everything out of my backpack, opening the poster and lying it on the table. I held it down with some erasers and stared at the facts on it. We needed two more examples and we're done. Percy stood at the counter, making him a sandwich. I found myself staring at him. His posture. His nose scrunched up as he concentrated. Biting his lip as he placed everything on it. When he turned around, he caught me staring and I suddenly turned away, blushing.

I could practically _hear _his grin on his face. "Checking me out, Ms. Chase?"

"You wish," I said but the blush on my cheeks gave me away.

He sat down in the chair next to me, over-looking the poster. Sally's question lingered in my head. I couldn't concentrate on the poster until I found out the answer.

"Percy?" I said.

"Hmm?"

"I have the same question."

He looked confused. "What?"

"That your mom asked you," I explained more further. "About us."

He took a bite of his sandwich before answering, "There's nothing to talk about."

"I think there is."

Percy scoffed. "About what? There's nothing to talk about, Annabeth. I was honest with her. We went separate ways."

"No, you went a separate way. You abandoned me," I said. He wasn't looking at me, but I knew he was listening. "Percy, we were best friends. Friends since elementary school. We had all the plans for summer, and then suddenly, they're all gone. One second you were there and the next... you weren't. You just disappeared. You started hanging out with the wrong crowd. Drinking. Smoking. And before I knew it, you became a gang leader.

"People just don't change like that just because they wanted to. I know there's a reason behind it. I just don't know what it is."

"Well, nobody does."

"Percy, you can trust me."

He sighed and threw down his sandwich onto his plate. "How do I not know you're going to walk out and tell the entire world about it, Annabeth? How?"

"You know me. I wouldn't do that," I said locking my eyes with his.

His sea-green orbs stared into mine. "Let's just forget about it. There's nothing to talk about. At least not in my book."

I felt angry. I felt hurt. I stood from my seat and grabbed all the materials for the project off the kitchen table. Percy raised an eyebrow as I stuffed everything in my bag. He grabbed my wrist and I jerked away from him, slamming my elbow into the wall.

"I'm just going to finish the project. There's no need for you to help. I'll just put your name on it since you did help with some of it," I said hoping that he'll just let me go. I was wrong.

He shot me a look. "What is up with your mood swings? I mean, one minute your mad at me about not working or helping you then your all happy and interested in our old friendship and suddenly, you're mad at me again. What the heck?" Percy said throwing his hands up.

"Well, I guess you get what you wanted," I smiled at him sarcastically. "Don't have to work on the project. Congratulations."

I opened the door to his apartment and started to walk out, but then I felt him grab my wrist again. He turned me around and his sea green eyes met mine. I glared at him as he slowly released my arm. His grip wasn't that tight, but I didn't like the fact that he could easily make me put my guard down.

"Come back inside, Annabeth," he said.

I scoffed. "Why do you even care? I thought you didn't care about the project. Actually, I didn't think you cared about anything," I snapped at him.

"Because you do," Percy answered my question.

"And you care about me?" I raised an eyebrow.

He chuckled. "I know that you want to get into a good college. I mean, you gave an entire lecture about graduating high school and getting a career. I'll just do it because I don't want to have to take this class again," Percy explained. I rolled my eyes. Of course he would do it for himself. "Come on back inside, Annabeth. Let's get this project down so we both don't have to face the wrath of Mrs. Dodds or be stuck with each other longer than we have to."

He's got a point there.

I crossed my arms and sighed. I better not regret this. "Fine. But only for the sake of facing Mrs. Dodds' wrath."

A little bit later, Percy was jotting down the rest of the notes from his notebook onto the poster. I was designing some symbols in the top corners, trying to make it look like we actually spent a lot of time on this. Most of the work was mine, but Percy did some. He clicked his pen as he cocked an eyebrow at his notes.

"Having trouble reading your own hand-writing?" I asked.

He glared at me. "No," he said and then brought his head back in shock. I raised an eyebrow. He waved his hand for me to come closer. "What exactly is that on my paper? I can't seem to figure it out."

I leaned forward and my eyes widened. It was an eight-legged creature with hairs all over its body.

I did the only thing I could do without losing my head.

I screamed.

The chair fell onto the floor as I jumped out of the chair and my dignity fell to the floor and crumbled into a ball. Percy started laughing and he swatted the bug off the paper and squished it in between his thumb and index finger. He glanced at me, standing in the middle of the kitchen; hands tightly clasped together on my chest and sending him the worse glare I could possibly do.

"What was that for?" I yelled.

Percy leaned back into his chair, grinning. "Oh, I get even when people make fun of me having trouble reading math problems. And I felt like it. I saw the spider and remembered that you were terrified of them-"

"I am not!" I tried to lie.

He scoffed. "So, that dance you just did was just for entertainment? Well, I wasn't really impressed, but it's better than nothing."

I glared at him again. "Jerk."

"Oh, that was funny," he said still grinning. He picked up his notebook and locked his eyesight on the notes in front of him.

I felt the urge to push him over, but I decided against it.

**PERCY'S POV:**

I was supposed to be writing down the examples on the poster, but my eyes got locked on something else. Or to be more exact, on _someone_.

I watched Annabeth concentrate on the textbook in front of her. She was drawing the math symbols and glancing the pages as she copied the symbol onto the poster.

I have no idea where the question came from, but I found myself asking her question that I never thought would be coming out of my mouth. Especially to her.

"Can I ask you something?" I asked.

**ANNABETH'S POV:**

"Can I ask you something?" the dark-haired boy asked in front of me. "And can you answer as honestly as possible?"

I looked up from the textbook that was in front of me and stared into his sea green eyes. "It depends on the question, but go ahead."

"If I wasn't a gang leader..."

I drew the symbol while waiting to hear the rest. "Uh-uh?"

"... would you date me?"

"Why would you like to know?" I asked looking up.

His eyes focused on mine. "Annabeth," he began. "Just answer."

"I-I..." I hesitated. "I don't know."

"You're hesitating because you're afraid to admit it."

I was taken by surprise. "Admit what?"

"That you have feelings for me."

I was about to open my mouth to deny it, but I couldn't speak as my eyes stared into his. Those sea green orbs have mysteries that he didn't show, hidden behind the soft color of his eyes. When we said those words, I immediately thought that someone told him. Percy lifted his hand and rested it against my cheek. I swallowed the lump in my throat.

His thumb ran over my skin. In his eyes, it looked like he finally figured something out. "Gosh, you're so beautiful."

The black-haired, green-eyed gang leader that sat in front of me leaned forward and I could feel his hot breath on my lips. I, slowly but cautiously, leaned in too and before I knew it, Percy Jackson's lips captured mine in a mind-blowing kiss that definitely was not for safety.

**PERCY'S POV:**

I have absolutely no idea what came over me.

It was like something in my brain clicked and suddenly I was kissing her.

And boy, was that some kiss.

Annabeth's lips met mine and I didn't feel like a gang leader. I felt like a normal, teenage boy who was getting his first kiss. All the worries about someone walking in on us left me as I kissed her again. Her blonde curls were tied up in a rubber band, but I pulled the band out of her hand and I felt her hair fall onto my fingers. I buried my fingers into her hair. Her hands were gripping the cotton of my t-shirt.

Annabeth pulled away from the kiss and spoke softly, "Perc-"

"Shut up," I mumbled before pressing my lips against hers again.

**THIRD PERSON'S POV:**

Grover and Beckendorf climbed the stairs of Percy's aparment building, laughing as they did. Grover belched loudly, which caused some of the adults around them to groan in disgust and Beckendorf cringed at the smell.

"Gah, that's nasty. You shouldn't have had enchiladas for lunch," Beck said wriggling his nose.

Grover shrugged and ignored him. "I hope Perce doesn't mind us barging in."

"Yeah, but wasn't Annabeth supposed to be over too?"

"Yeah, but it's five PM. I think she may have left already," Grover said.

When Beckendorf and Grover opened to the door to Percy's apartment, they were expecting to see him eating or sleeping. What they weren't expecting was to see their gang leader kissing the blonde-haired, grey-eyed genius herself:

Annabeth Chase.

**GO AHEAD! Scream, kick, throw tantrums- wait, this sounds like a baby. Hold on- (rummages through brain) AH!- throw spears, knives, swords, or whatever you can find at me.**

**What did you think of the GRAND kiss between Percy and Annabeth?**

**I wanted them to have a few more small moments before this. Them joking about her dad, singing in the car (which by the way **_**Drive By**_** is a great song!), making jokes, him keeping her from leaving. **

**And of course, someone HAD to walk in on them. At least it wasn't his mother or someone esle besides Grover and Beckendorf. **

**What do you think will happen between them four? Or will Beck and Grover pass out from the incredible sight of the two former best friends kissing? **

**Find out in Chapter Twelve! MUAHAHA!**

**-HunterofArtemis32**

**P.S. I loved writing this scene. I was so happy to get to write it. **


	12. Chapter 12

**Hello my fabulous fans!**

**WOW! This story has 300 REVIEWS! Thank you so much!**

**So it seems like everyone LOVED the last chapter! Most of you were so happy but angry because I left it as a cliffhanger. Well, if you've been reading my stuff for a while, I love writing cliffhangers after a big moment.**

**Now, let's get to the chapter and see what's going to happen with Beckendorf and Grover. Pass out or scream? Let's find out. **

**Enjoy the chapter!**

**PERCY'S POV:**

The awkwardness filled the room as Beckendorf and Grover stared at me as I sat in my seat, running my fingers through my hair. Annabeth had already left. My best friends were muttering words that I couldn't hear with their eyes widened.

Here's what happened:

_I heard the door open, but I was too preoccupied by the kiss that it took me a few seconds for my instints to kick in. Annabeth was the one to pull away first and gasped when she realized who it was. My fingers were still twined in her hair as I tried to come up with an excuse. Annabeth stood up from her seat, grabbing all the materials for the project and shoving them into her bag. She mumbled something to me that I didn't quite catch. She pushed past Grover and Beck and closed the door behind her. They spun around, looking at her and stopped to look at me with their mouths hanging and eyes wide. _

Now back to the present.

Grover was the one to speak first. "What was that?"

I sighed and took a minute to answer. "What do you mean?" I asked trying to avoid the topic.

"Why were you kissing Annabeth?" Beckendorf said. Those words jumped around in my head.

"I don't know," I answered. "It just happened."

"You know how bad that could have been if it wasn't us?" Grover said.

I groaned. "My mom could have walked in on us..." 

"I'm not talking about your mom, Perce. What if another gang member came in?" Grover threw his hands up in the air. "I mean, they could tell the boss. You could get in serious trouble." 

"It was nothing," I retorted.

Beckendorf scoffed. "Man, that wasn't nothing. That was something."

"It was just a kiss!"

"Dude, that just wasn't a kiss. That was like eighteen-years of kissing!" Grover exclaimed. "It was like... I don't know how to explain it. But it surely wasn't just a kiss."

I rested my head on my hands. "Gah, I'm getting a headache." 

"You know what could happen if the boss found out about this?" Beck said.

I rolled my eyes. "It's not like we're in a serious relationship. It just happened."

"The boss might not take it that way."

There were only a few rules we had to go by in our gang. One of our important rules is to never get into a serious relationship. Some of us break that rule. Beckendorf and Grover for example, but they have to keep it a secret. If the boss found out, we could get in massive trouble. I don't really know the story behind why it's such a big deal, but apparently to him, it's a huge rule. I've only got into one serious relationship, and that was when I was sixteen.

"Don't mention to this to anyone," I said to both of them. They both nodded.

Beck sat down at the chair opposite of me. "What's going to happen between Annabeth and you?"

"No idea," I said. "Hopefully, we can get past it and go back to hating each other." 

"Go back?" Grover asked.

I looked up at him with an eyebrow raised. "What?"

"Do you mean that you have different feelings towards her?"

"No," I answered.

He shot me a look. "I beg to differ."

"I don't have any feelings for her," I said angrily, standing up from the chair. I walked over to the sink and gripped the edges, staring out the window. The words replayed over in my mind. Her image appeared. Her blonde, curly hair. Her grey, startling eyes. I found myself, for once in my life, confused about how I felt about a girl. I had no freaking idea how I felt towards her. Surprisingly, the words came out of me. "At least I think I don't."

Everything turned silent after that.

**NEXT DAY:**

**AT SCHOOL**

I walked down the hallway with Beckendorf talking to me about the English project we had due in two weeks. I haven't seen Annabeth yet, considering that it wasn't first period yet. We stopped in front of our lockers. It was starting to get warm outside so I threw my leather jacket in my locker and grabbed my notebook and textbook for Math. When I shut my locker, I slid to the floor, my mind still processing the fact that I kissed Annabeth yesterday. Nico sat on the floor next to me, finishing his History report. One of the gang members, Santiago, came over to me and handed me an envelope sealed. By the name written in the corner, it was my boss.

Santiago walked away with some of the members towards their first period classes. I opened the envelope and pulled the file out of it. It was a hand-written note saying how happy he was with the new supplies and his recruits were training hard. He also told me that I'll be having a new member joining soon. A fifteen-year old who needs money for his mother's cancer bills. I read the last sentence twice.

_I'll be coming in about a month to check how everything's going. Watch out for your rookie, Jackson. He's fragile. But you'll toughen him up. _

"So, what's up with the boss man?" Grover asked, taking a bite of his breakfast burrito.

I raised an eyebrow. "Do you ever stop eating?"

"No. You should know that by now," he answered.

Nico rolled his eyes and grabbed the note out of my hand. He scanned over it. "He's coming? In a month?"

"Apparently," I said.

Beckendorf groaned. "Silena and I were going to her competition in a month. I can't miss that. I already promised her that I was coming."

"You may have to cancel," Nico said.

He shook his head, his eyes focused on Nico. His jaw was firm. "No. I've already had to cancel a lot of other things for her. I'm going to her competition."

I glanced over at him and patted him on the shoulder. "The boss doesn't need all of us there anyways. I think all it matters is that I'm there. It's just a meeting."

"Thanks, man," he said.

Grover shrugged. "I just really hope we don't have any uncomfortable situations where some of us get used as dummies to teach the rookies." He rubbed his shoulder, remembering last time the boss came. Good times, good times.

I chuckled. "That was funny."

"It was not! He had them tie me up and I had to try and escape-"

"Which you failed," all of us chorused.

He frowned. "Don't need your input. Anyways-"

"We get it, G-man. I'll make sure the boss doesn't use you for any demonstrations."

He sighed. "Thank you."

"But I'm not gonna promise," I grinned.

He glared at me. "I hate you."

"Nah," I said laughing. Beckendorf threw a paper napkin at Grover's head and he just sat there with a sad look on his face. "No, you don't."

**SCENE CHANGE**

As Beckendorf and I walked towards first period, we were laughing at the band members. Their new uniforms were so dorky looking that we couldn't help but laugh as we passed them. And what was bad was that our school's name was plastered on the front of the shirts. Well, at least half of us are leaving. Beck slid his phone in his pocket after sending a text to Silena.

"She wants to meet up for lunch," he said after putting it up. "I was thinking about taking her to her favorite restaurant. What do you think?"

"I say do it," I shrugged taking my phone out and reading the text my mom sent me. _Be home a little later than usual, sweetie. Leftovers in the fridge and behave yourself. No parties. Love you -Mom :) _"How long have you two been dating now? Almost two years, right?" I asked while responding. _All right. Love you too. _

"Three years," Beckendorf corrected me. He grinned. "Three years next month."

I laughed. "I'm surprised. None of us hardly stay in a serious relationship for long."

"Well, Grover and Juniper have been together for almost a year and a half," Beck said answering another text before shutting it. "You and Callie would still be together if she hadn't moved away."

"You don't know that," I said quickly trying to change the subject. "Hey, man, I got to get to first period before Mrs. Dodds has my butt."

Beckendorf chuckled as I walked towards first period. "If she does, do you mind if I use it for my mural?"

"I'm gonna kill you!" I shouted.

**SCENE CHANGE**

When I walked into math class, a pretty brunette shot me a wink and a wave, giving me a flirtatous smile. I grinned back at her before walking over to my seat. Annabeth was already sitting there, fumbling with her textbook. I felt myself stiffen as I continued to walk. I sat down in my seat, an awkward silence coming between us.

Mrs. Dodds came over to us with a smile on her face. That's a first. "Very good job on the project. I was impressed."

"Thank you, Mrs. Dodds," Annabeth replied.

"Yeah, thanks," I said.

She quickly lost the smile and turned to glare at me. When she turned her back to walk back to her desk, I stuck out my tongue at her. Annabeth gave a small laugh. I glanced over at her. "What?"

"Your expression," she answered.

I shrugged. "I've been wanting to do that all semester."

"Finally got it out of your system?" Annabeth said raising an eyebrow.

I shook my head, sketching a small box on a black piece of paper. "Yep. Now I feel great."

Suddenly, the silent came back.

And I'm gonna let you in on a little secret.

I actually want to talk. To her.

Before class ended, I finally got the courage to say something. I leaned over while the teacher wasn't looking and tapped her on the shoulder. Annabeth glanced at me and I slid a piece of paper towards her. She raised an eyebrow, but picked it up, opening the small tab. I waited, writing down the homework from the board. I was bored so I had nothing else better to do.

After the bell rang, Annabeth slid the paper over and grabbed her materials without saying a word. Things were gonna be awkward between us for a while. Unless we spoke to each other.

When I picked up the note, underneath my handwriting that said 'we need to talk', she wrote 'meet me in the school yard right after class.' I picked up my things and darted out of the room, finally being able to speak with her.

Now let's get this over with.

I just wish... it could have been that easy.

**ANNABETH'S POV:**

"What do you want?" was the first thing that I said when he appeared from the school building. Ok, maybe being snappy wasn't the best way to go. He probably wanted to talk about... the kiss.

Percy sighed. "I just want to talk."

"About what?"

"You know what," he replied his green eyes locking with mine.

I already knew where this conversation was going.

I felt myself think of that dream I had last night after I returned home. After the kiss.

_We were lying on the couch; the black-haired boy and I. The floor was covered with popcorn from our popcorn fight and tons of candy all over the coffee table. I was drifting to sleep while his fingers stroked through my hair, making me even sleepier. _

_"Go to sleep, Wise Girl. I'll wake you when you need to get going," the black-haired boy whispered in my ear._

_"Mm," I muttered snuggling up to his chest and gripping his t-shirt. _

_I looked up to see the black-haired, green-eyed gang leader I fell in love with. Percy smirked down at me and kissed the top of my head. "Go to sleep."_

When I returned to reality, Percy was still standing there. I took in his figure. He wore dark jeans with a evergreen v-neck with his leather jacket over it. His red and black bandana was sticking out his jacket's pocket. His hair was messed up, like it always was. Those sea green eyes were still beautiful as I remembered them.

"Something has changed. Between us. Ever since that kiss happened," I said taking a breath. "Maybe even before that. I do know that something has changed... in me." Actually that feeling has gotten deeper ever since his lips went on mine.

"Changed how?"

I took another breath before answering, "On how I feel about you."

**PERCY'S POV:**

She took a deep breath and answered. Her answer was not what I was expecting to hear from her, "On how I feel about you."

We stood there, staring at each other. She was feeling different towards me? No. It can't be. Maybe I just heard her wrong.

"What do you mean by that?" I said praying that what I just heard was only my imagination playing with me. Please.

Annabeth glanced down at the ground then looked up. Seriousness was plastered all over her face. "I feel different. That kiss... Percy, it did something." She looked up at me and gave a small laugh. "And I can see in your eyes that it did the same thing to you."

I instantly closed my eyes, looking down. Please, be lying. "Annabeth... please tell me that you're lying."

The deep breath gave it away, even before she answered. "I'm not."

"You can't be feeling... that way about me," I said.

She bit her lip. "It's too late."

The whole world stopped as I realized what she meant.

She was in love with me.

**(GASP!)**

**Now- (dodging knives and arrows) I will- (ducks from a flaming fireball) STOP IT!  
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**Annabeth just told Percy that she was in love with him. Do you think he feels the same way? What would you like to see happen? **

**And yes, to many of your questions, the story behind Percy's transformation will be told in the next couple chapters. Not saying what chapter, but it will be coming up. Any ideas on why he might have changed? I would love to hear them. I want to see you if any of you are close. **

**Please don't kill me. I really don't want to die. **

**And anyways, A Troubled Boy with Green Eyes or this story could not be finished. So you'll be wondering for the rest of your lives what would have happened. **

**So if you want to know, DO NOT KILL ME! **

**-HunterofArtemis32**


	13. Chapter 13

**Why hello friends!**

**It seemed like a lot of people loved the last chapter, and someone was even close to guessing why Percy had changed. XxDaniellexX, you were close. But that is all I'm saying. No more. Nada.**

**Now, if you want to find out, you're gonna have to read a few more chapters. The truth will be exposed within the next... um, twelve chapters! ;) **

**Alrighty then, let's go on with the story!**

**Enjoy the chapter!**

**PERCY'S POV:**

I stood there, the words sinking into me.

Annabeth's in love with me.

No.

No. I don't feel that way about her. We aren't even friends. I don't care how close we used to be, but that's the past. Everything that happened between us is in the past.

"Annabeth," I said trying to word my words carefully. "Annabeth, you can't be in love with me."

She took a step forward and I stepped backward. "It's too late, Percy!"

When she stepped closer to me again, I grabbed her shoulders and bore my eyes into hers. "Annabeth, listen to me! You _CAN'T_ be in love with me!" The look on her face read that she wasn't expecting me to react this way.

"Why not?" The two hardest words to answer.

I sighed. "Because... you just can't." I couldn't tell her the real reason.

Annabeth bit her lip and pushed me away from her. I could tell she was angry. "I don't even know why I even told you. You're probably going to go tell all your friends and start nasty rumors again like you did in freshman year!"

Freshman year appeared in my head.

_"Isn't that the blonde you used to be friends with, Perce?" asked one of the gang members. _

_I glanced over at Annabeth, who was chatting with her friends by her locker. I smirked. "Yeah, used to be. She's such a nerd now."_

_"You got that right," said another one. _

_One of the older members who happened to be a player, glanced over at her and let a big grin appear on his face. "I wonder how many guys she's hooked up with this past weekend."_

_"What do you mean?" asked one of the freshman members._

_I raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, what's that mean?"_

_He just laughed and pushed himself off the lockers with his foot. "I mean, haven't you seen the way she acts with guys? She puts her hands on their arms and smiles seductively at them. She's even done it to me."_

_I knew it was all a lie. Annabeth didn't throw herself at guys. _

_"I'm just wondering how many guys she had at her house this weekend," he continued. _

_I looked over at her and felt like defending her, but I couldn't. Not in front of my friends._

_That's when all the rumors about Annabeth sleeping with guys started. It dimmed down after about a week when the principal found out, but Annabeth didn't speak to me for months. And that summer after freshman year was when I started dating Calypso. _

"I didn't start those rumors," I said shaking the thought of Callie out of my head.

Annabeth scoffed. "But you sure didn't stop them."

"What was I supposed to do?" I asked.

She groaned. "I don't know! Defend me or something! Not go along with it!"

I shrugged. "Want me to go back and change it? Oh wait, I can't. It happened three years ago!"

"So, you're telling me that I still can't be mad about rumors going around saying that I slept with guys?" Annabeth retorted.

I rolled my eyes. "Gah, Annabeth. I didn't say that. I'm saying I can't go back and change what happened. Just forget about it!"

She didn't say anything else. Neither did I.

"I'm done with everything. Between us," Annabeth said after a moment of silence. I looked up from the ground and met her eyes. "I might love you, but that doesn't change the fact that you are a jerk and that you don't care about anyone else but yourself!" She brushed a piece of hair behind her ear. "Now, can you do me one favor?" I held my hands up, beckoning for her to continue. "Leave me alone for the rest of senior year."

After she finished, Annabeth took one last look at me before turning around and walking away. I watched her until she disappeared from my sight.

I thought that was gonna be the last time I spoke to Annabeth Chase.

But boy, was I wrong.

**ANNABETH'S POV:**

I sat on my bed, hugging my pillow to my chest. The past week has drained me. First, with Percy Jackson and his nonstop crap. Second, my brother Malcolm decided to stay longer at his college instead of coming to visit us so I was stuck with my parents the entire weekend. And thirdly, my family was inviting some of their fancy friends over for dinner.

Whoo-hoo.

Sarcasm included.

Very, very sarcastic.

"Annabeth?" someone whispered my name. I glanced over at my door and saw my father's head peeking through the crack of the door. "Can I speak with you for a second?"

I sighed. "Come on in."

My father shut the door behind him and walked over to where I sat. He poked me in the elbow. He knew that I hated it, but I made no effort to say anything. He looked concern. "Honey, what's going on?"

"Nothing, Dad," I said.

He laughed. "I know when something's going on."

I looked over at him and shrugged. "Nothing you would be interested in."

"Well, I know that you're eighteen years old, but I'm still here if you want to talk," he said patting me on the shoulder.

I knew that he wanted me to talk. I caved. I scooted around to look towards him and my father shot me a small smile. "Dad, what do you do if you love someone, and they don't love you and they may be completely wrong for you?"

My dad was surprised by my question. He raised an eyebrow. "Where is this coming from, Annabeth?"

"I'm just wondering," I said swallowing the lump in my throat.

He took a minute to answer. "Well, I really don't know, sweetheart. I think it depends on the person."

"I knew that was going to be your answer," I said.

My father shrugged and stood up from his seat. "I would love to carry on with this conversation, but your mother needs some help getting ready for tonight's dinner."

"All right," I muttered.

He gave me a kiss on the head. "Annabeth, you know you can always come to me with anything, right?"

"Yes, Dad," I shot him a smile.

He returned it. "Love you."

"Love you too," I mumbled but he didn't hear me. He had already closed the door.

A question still lingered in my head, but it was no question that my dad could answer.

Why did Percy change so drastically?

**SCENE CHANGE**

Rachel's eyes widened as I finished explaining the whole situation with her. "WHAT?"

"Shh!" I said covering her mouth. My parents were downstairs with their party guests. My brothers and I didn't have to be there. I invited Rachel to spend the night. She was my best friend. Katie was too but Rachel has been there since the beginning of the Percy drama. "I'm not even supposed to be telling you this!"

"Yeah, like Percy doesn't tell his buds everything," Rachel said taking bite out of her ice cream.

I sprayed some whipped-cream into my mouth. "I really think he doesn't," I replied with my mouth full. The red-head just laughed and wiped the cream off my chin.

"What's going happen between you two?" she asked.

I shrugged. I honestly don't know. "I hope he actually listens to what I said. I'm done with him. After senior year, I'm never seeing him again. I want to get out of here. Like now."

Rachel shook her head. "Yeah. I know you hate here."

I didn't respond. She took that as an agreement.

"You know, Percy used to be my getaway. Whenever I went over to his house, it was like these chains left. I was free. And then when I would return here, they would re-attach to me. Percy would know how to cheer me up when I had a bad day. Comfort me when I was crying. Make me laugh. That's the Percy I miss.

"I hate the new him. The partying Percy is not the boy I fell in love with. Whenever I looked at him in freshman year, I saw my best friend. Now, I hardly ever see that side of him. All the stuff he does now has covered every part of him. The drinking, smoking, doing drugs- it changed him."

Rachel listened to me the whole time I vented. She was the only person I could be myself around, and Katie. They would always be there to listen and comfort me.

"I hope he doesn't start any rumors about you," Rachel said. She was speaking my mind.

I sighed. "I'm praying that he's not. I mean, I understand we don't like each other, but I think that would be a whole new level for him."

She shrugged. "I guess we'll find out Monday."

"It's going to be nagging at me if I don't find out though."

"Then call him."

I raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, like he would want to talk to me on the phone. Or come to think of it, period! We haven't spoken to each other since the fight."

"It was just an option," Rachel replied.

I rubbed my forehead. "I know. I'm just stressed out."

"Same here. Why don't we kick back and relax? Sit around and eat junk food while watching horrible chick flicks that are so stupid that make us laugh!" she said.

I turned on the TV. "I would love to do that." 

"I knew you would," Rachel smiled before placing a DVD in the player.

It's good to have friends that listen to you then can cheer you up the next second.

Free of sarcasm.

And I mean that.

**MONDAY AT SCHOOL**

I'm going to be honest with you.

When I walked into school that Monday, I expected people to be asking about the kiss and girls who swooned over him asking me about his lips and everything in between, but surprisingly, none of my expectations happened.

No nasty rumors. No squealing girls attacking me. No boys snickering.

Just completely normal.

I stood at my locker, reading a book in my hands as Katie and Rachel talked in front of me. Katie was telling us about her weekend, but I lost interest. The halls were quiet, considering that Percy's gang wasn't in school yet. The popular group led by his old girlfriend walked by us. Her heels clanked against the floor.

When I looked up, it was at the worst time. I froze. Percy and his gang entered the building. His red and black bandana wrapped around his forehead. They were laughing and chatting amongst themselves. I watched as a girl, who had walked up to them, ran a hand across his chest seductively and he just chuckled, putting a hand on her waist. She smiled.

He glanced this way and saw me watching them. His expression was something different. I couldn't read it due to being a little way from him. Percy broke the stare between us to look down at the girl who continued to throw herself at him. I rolled my eyes. This happened when it got close to the holidays. Winter Break meant that girls wanted to snuggle up close to Percy Jackson, the hottest guy in school.

"Annabeth, Annabeth..." I heard someone say but I was distracted.

Katie snapped her fingers in front of my face. I broke out of the zone. "What?"

"What are you looking-" She turned her head and sighed. Percy was looking back at me. "-at?" she finished. Katie looked back at me. "Annabeth, why are you wasting your time with him?

That caught my attention. "Excuse me?"

"You heard what I said," she replied.

I raised an eyebrow. Rachel asked the question that was on my mind. "Katie, what do you mean by that?"

Katie scoffed. "I'm sorry, but I wouldn't be wasting my time for a guy who is never going to change back to way he was. Annabeth, the old Percy is gone. If you wait for him, then you're just going to be disappointed."

"Where is all this coming from?" I asked shocked that my best friend was treating me this way.

"I've been thinking over this for a while and I'm finally telling you. I don't think you should wait for him. He's never coming back. The Percy you fell in love with him... he's not here."

Rachel stared at her like she was a different person. "Katie..."

"What?" Katie asked turning to look at her. "I mean, think about it. If your best friend changed and turned into someone he wasn't and treated you with disrespect and made rumors about you, would you want to be with him?"

Rachel didn't answer.

I decided to speak up. "Katie, trust me, I've already thought about that. I would never get together with him if he's the way he is now. I don't care how much I love him or the fact that we have history, but why I'm not getting together with him, it's because the way he treats girls. Who knows that he might not treat me the same way."

What she said next hurt my feelings. "Annabeth, I think you are incredibly stupid to _EVER _get together with him. Even if he did change."

Rachel gasped from behind her. "Katie!"

"I thought you were my friend," I whispered.

She realized what she had said. "Annabeth," she muttered. "I am so sorry."

My whole head was spinning.

I excused myself and shut my locker, walking past them towards the exit doors. I started to pick up the pace when Rachel and Katie started call my name. I ran into people, but I didn't care. My head was pounding. I pushed past the gang members and their leader, my throat burning. Tears were starting to leak out.

"Annabeth!"

I recognized the deep voice, but I didn't look back.

I wanted to get out of here.

As I walked towards my car, sobs were racking through my entire body. I hardly cried, but everything that was going on was just getting too much for me. I started to drop to my knees beside my car. My chest ached. Tears streamed down my cheeks. Before my knees touched the asphalt, arms quickly wrapped around me, pulling me against their chest. The person brought me to the ground, my head buried into their t-shirt.

Instead of fighting against them, I just let myself break.

After a few minutes of muffled sobbing, I glanced up to see who was holding me. The sun blinded me, but I caught the glimpse of the red and black bandana, jet black hair, and those beautiful sea green eyes filled with concern.

Percy.

The gang leader who used to be my best friend, who betrayed me, was cradling me against him.

He just let me cry. Let me get it all out.

And I needed it.

**WOW!**

**You guys got to see a moment where Annabeth broke. I was debating on letting Annabeth just run away and cry alone in her car, but I decided to show that Percy is starting to care for her. **

**I hope that you guys loved it! **

**Did you think that it was right of Katie to treat Annabeth like that? What'd you think of the fight between Percy and Annabeth? The comforting scene?**

**Oh, I'm still taking suggestions of what you guys want to see between the former best friends! Let me know! :) **

**-HunterofArtemis32**


	14. Chapter 14

**Aloha fans!**

**So, does anyone have any guesses on what's going to happen (hey, isn't the name of my first multi-chapter strory?) in this chapter? **

**None. **

**Well, I'm not going to tell you. You have to read to know what adventures Percy and Annabeth go on in this chapter. **

**ENJOY FANS!**

**PERCY'S POV:**

I don't know what came over me.

When I saw Annabeth running out of the school with tears streaming down her face, I knew something was wrong. She never let anyone see her cry.

Instead of watching her like everyone else was and not doing anything, I felt something stirring inside me telling me to go after her. Comfort her. Hold her.

Which is what I did.

I threw down my backpack and chased after her; not caring if people saw or started to asking questions, and when I ran into the sun-soaked parking lot, I saw her figure. She was almost at her car. I started to run towards her, and when she was about to collapse against the ground, I quickly wrapped my arms around her, catching her before she fell.

I sat down with her body trembling against mine. She was sobbing uncontrollably. Annabeth buried her head into my chest, letting her guard down and allowing herself to let it all out. I haven't seen her cry this much since we were ten years old when she told me that her parents were getting a divorce.

Annabeth stopped after a few minutes. She was still shaking. She looked up and the sun shined into her grey eyes, making them even more beautiful than they already were- wait, what?

Why did I just call her eyes beautiful?

I shook the thought out of my head. She looked at me for a few more seconds before taking a deep, shaky breath and moved out of my arms, sitting down next to me.

"Thank you," I heard her whisper after a moment of silence.

I looked over at her to see her playing with her thumbs. I noticed by the way she spoke that she wanted to talk about it. I found myself asking her the words that was on my mind. "What happened?"

She sighed. "You wouldn't want to know."

"Yeah, I do. I wouldn't have asked if I didn't want to know."

Annabeth licked her lips. "My friend, Katie and I got into this argument about-" She took a hestitate breath. "Um, about something and she said something that... made me break. I've been having a rough past couple of months and the dam just broke today."

It took me a minute to respond. "Well, that sucks," I decided to say.

She gave a small laugh, wiping her face. "Yeah. It does."

An awkward silence came between us. I glanced over at her and got an idea. "Hey, do you want to do something?"

"Like what?"

I shrugged. "Anything."

"But we have school," she replied.

I shot her a look. "You just had an intense moment. I don't think school would be the best thing for you. You need some cheering up."

"And you plan to do that?" Annabeth asked with an eyebrow raised.

I grinned, pushing myself off the ground and standing above her. "Heck yes." I held my hand out for her, waiting for her to take it. "You have two choices. Go to school and get asked a billion questions about what happened or go somewhere to get your mind off of everything?"

Annabeth took a deep breath. She reached up and took a hold of my hand. I pulled her up and we stood face to face; our foreheads close to one another's. We stood there for a few seconds, staring into each other's eyes before she broke the stare and began to dig through her backpack.

"What are you doing?" I asked confused.

"Getting my keys," she answered.

I laughed. "Um, we're not taking your car."

"Then what am I going to do with it?"

A smirk came onto my face.

**SCENE CHANGE**

The wind blew through my hair as we rode on the road. Annabeth had her arms wrapped around my waist, looking at all the objects on both sides. She was wearing my helmet. Normally I had two, but considering I didn't have a girlfriend at this moment, I didn't have it with me.

"Do you think Grover will get the key?" she asked when we stopped at a red light.

"He should. He goes to his locker after every period."

Annabeth tightened her arms around my waist. "Why did you leave the key with him?"

"I trust him the most out of the entire gang who will bring your car back in the perfect condiction it's in. Nico probably would but he will write something on your windows. Trust me, I should know."

"I'm not even going to ask about that," she said.

We stopped at a fast food restaurant to get something quick to eat before doing whatever she had in mind. When we sat down, I took a bite out of my burger.

"So, anything you prefer to do?" I asked after swallowing.

"Um, anything besides home. I don't want to explain everything to my parents."

"We could go to my house," I offered.

Annabeth took a sip of her drink, thinking about it. "That sounds like fun. Will your mom be home?"

I shook my head. "No. She works in the morning."

"I guess we could still go," she said after a minute. "Yeah. Let's hang out at your place."

**SCENE CHANGE**

I parked in my normal parking spot, shutting off the engine. Annabeth slid off the back, stepping onto the ground. I grabbed my backpack and flipped the keys in my hand, entering the apartment complex. Two of the younger kids who weren't enrolled in school grinned at me while playing with some toys that they got for Christmas last year. I smirked at them and ruffled their hair. One of the college students who lived here with his sick mother passed us and I gave him a high-five. He shot Annabeth a small smile before leaving the building.

"I have a question for you," Annabeth said, following me to my floor.

"Shoot." 

"Why are all the kids here so... sad?" she asked. I could hear in her voice that she wasn't trying to sound rude.

I sighed. "Because the kids here don't get half the stuff Upper rich kids get. Every person who's living here besides the elderly has to work to make a living. People here who have absolutely nothing. Some are passing by. Some are struggling. My mom and I, for example, are one of the families who are struggling."

"Is that why you're in the gang?" Annabeth insisted.

I stopped in front of my door, staring at the aparment number. "One of the reasons."

By the tone in my voice, we left the subject alone.

I unlocked the door, walking straight towards the kitchen. The door closed behind Annabeth. I rummaged through the fridge, grabbing two water bottles and an apple. She sat down at one of the kitchen chairs. I turned around, getting ready to throw her a water bottle before I froze.

Seeing her at the dining table caused me to visual the kiss. Her lips on mine; my hands tangled in her hair. Annabeth glanced up at me as I sat down, handing her the water bottle.

"Can I ask you something?" I asked.

Annabeth shrugged. "What is it?"

"You mentioned earlier that you had a lot of on your mind," I began. "I was wondering what kind of stuff it was..."

"You really want to know what's been going on in my life?" she asked raising an eyebrow.

I took a swig of my water. I shook my head, our eyes meeting. "Yeah."

"Well, just a lot of things going on at home. My brother's at college and he decided not to visit this past weekend which left me stranded with my over-bearing parents. I love my parents, but they just don't understand that I'm not... _them_. That I don't want the same life-style as them." Annabeth closed her eyes while she spoke. "On top of that, I have college applications that I have to finish filling out. Tests I need to study for. Essays to be finalized. Projects need to be worked on.

"I just have so much stuff going on at home, school... and then here you come, making my life even more complicated. I'm not trying to be mean, but with all the crap that you give me and what the rest of the world gives me... sometimes, it's just too much for one person to handle." Annabeth finished her speech after that, opening her eyes. She messed with the water bottle's cap.

I took a deep breath before responding. "I know what you mean."

"How?"

I leaned back into my chair, crossing my arms across my chest. "Not really with the whole school complications, but more with having to deal with what life throws at you."

"I thought gang leaders weren't supposed to have feelings," Annabeth said jokingly.

I laughed. "We can. We just don't show them as much as regular people do."

She glanced down at the floor. "I wish that you were like this at school."

"Like what?" I raised an eyebrow.

Annabeth looked up and her grey eyes locked with mine. "Like the real you," she answered.

I looked away from her. The conversation disintegrated over time. An awkward silence filled the room as we sat across from each other, waiting for the other one to speak. I reached over and grabbed my apple, taking a bite out of it.

She brushed her hair up into a ponytail. "Do you mind if I take a nap? I need to get out of this... emotional stage."

"Go right ahead," I said wiping the juice from my mouth.

Annabeth gave me a small smile and walked over to the couch, grabbing the blanket off the side of it. She draped it over her side and rested her head on the pillow, holding the soft material to her chest. I sat there, watching her as she slept. Some moments she would flinch or move to get in a more comfortable spot. Our couch wasn't the best thing to sleep on, considering it being old and all that.

I stood up from my seat, heading in the direction to my bedroom. However, on the way there, I took the blanket off of her and put my arms under her knees and neck, gently lifting her off the couch. She was light as a feather. I carried her from the living room into my bedroom.

I sat her down on my bed. Annabeth softly grunted before her eyes fluttered open to see me standing in front of her. She smiled, her grey eyes sparkling.

At that moment, I didn't see the blonde-haired genius who corrected everybody and who knew everything; instead I saw a beautiful woman who happened to be my former best friend.

Something clicked inside me as I lifted my hand, and stroked the side of her face. Annabeth closed her eyes at my touch. She muttered something that I didn't quite hear. My hand locked under her chin. I felt myself lean in, but I didn't realize what I was doing until the moment my lips captured hers.

**ANNABETH'S POV:**

I couldn't explain how right it felt.

His lips on mine.

So many emotions went soaring.

Percy kissed me again, burying his hands in my blonde curls. I reached up and put my hands on the back of his neck, bringing him closer to me. I was highly expecting for him to pull away, but he kept his lips on mine. Somehow, my fingers found his hair and they explored through his mob of black mess.

You hear so many people talking about how intense kisses can be- yes, I'm not going to lie. It was intense, but not in the way others explain it. There was no lust. It wasn't hot; it was beautiful.

Suddenly, Percy pulled away and sat back. "I can't do this."

Those two words floated around in my head again. "Why not?"

"Annabeth, I just can't," he whispered so softly I barely heard him.

"Percy, I don't understand. One moment you tell me I can't be in love with you and then the next you're kissing me!" I sat up, my eyes glaring into his. "You're kind of sending me mixed messages here!"

He sighed, running his fingers through his hair. "You can't be in love with me."

"Then why are you kissing me?" I insisted.

Percy looked down at the ground. He sounded confused. "I don't know."

"You don't know?" I repeated. "That doesn't explain anything, Percy."

An awkward silence came between us. Percy then groaned and held his head in his hands. "You just can't, Annabeth! It's hard to explain, but you- me- we... we can't be together."

"Why?" I asked so tired of all the fighting and the confusion.

He wasn't going to tell me the real reason why. "I'm not right for you."

"I don't care," I said my voice cracking as I realized that tears were starting to form. This last week has been so emotional. My hand reached over and my fingers ran through his black locks; his eyes locked with mine. Those sea green eyes has caused me to feel so many emotions.

Percy grabbed my hands with his, pulling them away from his figure. He set them on the bed covers, looking down at the sheets, not meeting my eyes.

The question still lurked in my mind.

I needed to know.

"Percy..." I whispered softly. He glanced up at me. "What's the real reason why we can never be together?"

He took a deep breath. I prepared myself for the answer. "There's a rule that specifically says that members of a gang or the gang leader... cannot have a serious relationship." I stayed silent as he continued. "The reason for that is because our business can put them in serious danger. Possibly get them killed."

It took me a minute to comprehend everything. Another question popped into my head. "Then how come Beck and Grover have girlfriends if they're not allowed to?"

"They sneak around."

I got confused again. "Why can't we do that?"

"Annabeth, there's another reason."

"What?"

Percy sighed before answering, "Annabeth, I'm not in love with you. I don't feel that way about you. I don't feel what you feel towards me."

"I don't believe that," I said looking into his eyes.

"Well, you should," he retorted. "Because it's the truth. I don't love you."

He wasn't telling me the entire truth.

I could tell by his eyes.

He may not be in love with me, but he feels something different towards me.

I could feel it.

**OOOOOOOHHHH!**

**What'd you think? Any weapons I should dodge? (looks in the distance) Not that I know of. Wait, is that a- AHHHH! (ducks in the corner of room, hiding from the army of fans with pitchforks) **

**Who knew that fans could be so... oh, what's the word- MEAN?**

**Anyways, who saw that coming? The kiss? Do you think Percy is lying or telling the truth? Are they ever going to get together? **

**WHO KNOWS? **

**Oh wait, I do. **

**Oh, well, I guess you're just gonna have to wait for the chapters to come to see. **

**-HunterofArtemis32**


	15. Chapter 15

**Hellur everyone! **

**So sorry about updating. I'm at the beach right now, but this chapter was already written so I decided to post it. **

**Did y'all like the last chapter? I believe you did.**

**Any guesses on this chapter? Hmm? Don't see any hands. Ah, forget it. **

**ENJOY THE CHAPTERS, FANS!**

**PERCY'S POV:**

"The boss will want new supplies when he gets here."

"And how are we supposed to get them? All the stores are stocked out."

"We'll find a way."

The gang sat around the small circle of vehicles. I sat on the hood of my truck, listening to their conversation. They were right. The boss will want supplies, but the stores have no available materials we need.

"There's no possible way we'll get them in time," Beckendorf said. "The stores will have them in availability next week and-"

"He's coming in two weeks, so we should have them by then," one of the younger members interrupted.

"No, because we need enough supplies for a month. We won't have all of them by the time the boss gets here," Nico interfered.

Beck threw his hand up in agreement. "Exactly."

"That's a problem," Grover said nervously.

Santiago, whose car sat next to mine, turned to look towards me. "We may need to call in reinforcements."

"No," I said through gritted teeth.

"We're gonna need some help this round, Perce."

"No," I repeated firmly.

Beckendorf decided to step into the conversation. "It may not be a bad idea-"

"I said no!" I shouted jumping from the hood. "We're not doing a drug deal!"

"They could give us the stuff we need!" Santiago said.

I spun around and grabbed him by the collar. "I don't care."

Beck put a hand on my shoulder. "You know what could happen if we don't turn in the supplies in on time, right?"

"Yes," I answered.

I could get in a lot of trouble. It was my responsibilty to turn in all the supplies on time.

If I didn't... I had to suffer the consequences.

**SCENE CHANGE**

A groan slipped out of my mouth as I traveled up the steps, keeping pressure onto my arm. The gunshot echo ran through my ears. I knocked on the door, leaning against the wall beside it, breathing slowly to contain the pain that shot up through my arm.

"Percy?"

My vision blurred. "Help..."

"Percy, what happened?"

"Gun...shot...hurts...like...Hades..." I said through ragged breaths.

"Let's get you inside..."

I didn't get to hear the rest.

I collapsed onto the ground.

"-PERCY!"

**SCENE CHANGE**

The pain wasn't as bad when I woke up. It was still there, but not as throbbing.

I opened my eyes, taking in my surroundings. The small apartment was painted black with some pictures on the walls. There was a TV, fireplace- which the fire looked inviting- and I was lying on a sheet-covered couch. I tried to sit up, but my arm started to scream with pain. I looked over to see that the bullet wound was covered with a small bandage. My shirt was on the ground, stained with blood. I groaned.

"Sleeping Beauty awakes," said a voice from the distance.

I rubbed my eyes with my good hand. "How long was I out?"

"Hmm, from the time you passed out on my doorstep to now... mm, about twelve hours."

I looked over to see my blue-eyed, dark-haired cousin smirking at me. Thalia reached over and helped me sit up, making me more comfortable. She handed me a cup filled with water and dropped some asprin in my hand.

"What mess did you get into this time?" she asked, sitting on the coffee table.

I swallowed the pain medicine before answering, "Tried to get some supplies. Police got us. Shot me while escaping."

"And why did you decide to come here?" Thalia sounded angry. "What if they followed you?"

"I made sure that no one saw me," I said.

She sighed, rubbing her forehead. "When are you ever going to learn?"

"Easy for you to say."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Thalia asked, raising an eyebrow. Her electrifying blue eyes stared into mine.

"You live in a perfect world. Don't have to worry about finacial struggles. Don't have to worry about anything. Your perfect husband left you with enough money to survive without having to work a day in your life!" I found myself getting angry at her for no reason. I was just... mad.

Thalia gave a sarcastic laugh. "Yeah, such a perfect life."

"Thals..." I began but she hushed me.

"No. No need to apologize. I can get why you're mad."

I reached over and grabbed her hand. "I didn't mean to get angry with you."

"It's fine, Kelp Head," she said smiling.

I grinned, surprised that she remembered our childhood nicknames. "Good, Pinecone Face."

Hours later, we were sitting by the fire, wrapped in its warmth. My arm was still burning, but with the pain medicine and the excellent cleaning by my cousin, it was starting to go away. Thalia was staring at the fire as I thought about my mother. I hope she wasn't freaking out about me not coming home last night. Oh wait, she was used to it.

"So, what's going on in your life?" Thalia asked breaking the silence. "Any girlfriends? Any secrets you want to share with me?"

"Nah," I said grinning. "No girlfriend. No secrets."

"You like a girl though," she said.

I raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"I can see it in your expression. You like someone."

I laughed, shaking my head. "No. There's no one."

"Hmm, either you're denying it or I'm just reading you wrong," Thalia said taking a sip of her drink.

"Reading me wrong."

She didn't seem convinced, but she ignored it. "How's little Nico going?"

"He's going."

"Is he wrapped in the gang business like you?"

I sighed. "Yeah."

Thalia looked down at the cup in her hands. She took a deep breath, glancing over at the fire. I looked up to see pictures on the coffee table. I walked over and picked one up. It was a picture of all three of us: Thalia, Nico, and I. We were taking a summer vacation back when I was in seventh grade. We looked alike, with our matching black hair yet we had different color eyes. Thalia was six years older than me, but we all used to be really close.

Then a death separated us.

"Can you believe that's it's been three years since Luke's death?"

I swallowed the lump in my throat. "Yeah, I know." I set the picture down. "A year since Bianca's."

"And four years since Tyson's," Thalia said softly.

We were a broken family.

Nico's sister died in a car accident.

Thalia's husband died in the army.

And Tyson...

His death was my fault.

**ANNABETH'S POV:**

"MALCOLM!" I screamed when the front door opened and my older brother walked inside. He threw his bags to the ground and wrapped his arms around me in a tight hug. "I missed you so much!"

"I missed you too, Anna," Malcolm said holding me closely.

He was the only one allowed to call me that. I hated when people shortened my name, but Malcolm promised me that he would only call me that when we were home or around family.

"You're... crushing... me," I said after a while.

He chuckled and let me go. "You've gotten so big."

"You saw me in August. I haven't changed that much."

Malcolm shrugged. "You have to me."

I rolled my eyes. "How's college?"

"Great. Pretty girls, amazing classes, nice teachers. All that you wished for your first year of college," he answered. "How's senior year?"

I must have made a face because he raised an eyebrow. "What happened?"

"Nothing," I said.

Malcolm shot me a look. "Annabeth..."

"We'll talk later. Right now, I just want to enjoy hanging out with my brother," I answered smiling at him.

"All right, but we're talking about it later," he said.

I shifted nervously. I didn't want to tell him. Malcolm is protective of me.

Very protective.

At dinner, my family and I were enjoying my brother's favorite meal. Matthew and Bobby were chatting to our father. It was something to do with their newest invention. Malcolm, Melanie, and I were all involved in a conversation about Malcolm's classes. He was part of an amazing architecture class that had great teachers and remarkable lessons. I was so jealous.

"Ok, enough about me. Annabeth, how's senior year doing?" I loved Malcolm. He hated having all the attention for such a long period and I knew he wanted to know all the details.

I took a bite of chicken. "It's been fine. Not that much different from any other years. I still have annoying cheerleaders and perverted boys, but I think you can never get rid of them."

He grinned. "Any boyfriends I should know about?"

"No," I answered. He didn't ask about boys who didn't know if he wanted to be with you or not. "No boyfriends."

"Is that Jackson guy still bothering you?" Malcolm inquired, taking a bite out of his food.

I took a sip of my drink. "He's, um..."

"He is, isn't he?"

"Well-"

"He gave her a ride home one afternoon," Melanie came into the conversation. My eyes widened after she said those words.

"What?" Malcolm glanced between the two of us.

I struggled to find the words. "I sprained my wrist and he offered to take me home."

"Why?"

I looked at him and shrugged. "It's Percy Jackson, Malcolm. He was only doing it for his own doing."

Malcolm was angry. It was written all over his face. "That doesn't matter. I don't trust him."

"I don't either."

"Then why'd you get in the car with him?"

"I asked her the same question," Melanie said.

"He offered. I accepted."

"So?"

I didn't want to argue with him, but I didn't want him angry with me. "For some reason, I knew he wasn't going to try anything."

"Annabeth," he said firmly. I stiffened. He hardly ever used that tone, and of course it's at me. "I don't care whether you felt something or not, I don't trust him!'

"He came over a few weeks ago," Matthew said.

"WHAT?" My father, Melanie, and Malcolm yelled.

Bobby nodded. "Yeah, he did. He was a lot of fun. He's the one that ranks the highest score on _Call of Duty_!"

"He came here?" Melanie asked.

My father shot me a look. "When?"

"A few weeks ago to work on a project."

"I told you I didn't want him in here!" Melanie shouted.

"We had to work on a math project!" I yelled back.

My father slammed his fist down on the table. "Don't you dare talk to your mother like that!"

I had enough. I stood up from my chair. "I'm sick and tired of this family! You guys have nothing better to do other than to gossip and talk bad about people you don't even know! The weekend Malcolm is over, which we hardly ever get to see him, we start fighting like cats and dogs! And who is it about? The one and only, Percy Jackson!

I looked at my step-mother. "I'm done with your constant bickering about this family! All you do is talk about how my brothers and I aren't as good as Malcolm. I hate that you don't see that I'm trying my best to impress you and you don't even care!

I turned towards my father. "You don't even see how hard I'm trying to forgive you. I've been trying my best to look at you how I used to when I was little, but I can't do that. All I see now... is a man that slept with another woman besides my mother."

I turned silent after I said those words. The night on the roof, eight years ago when I told Percy the truth about my parent's divorce, appeared into my head.

_"Just always know that you come to me for anything. I'll always be here. No matter what," Percy whispered wrapping an arm around my shoulders. _

_I sniffled, wiping the tears off my face. "Thanks, Seaweed Brain."_

_We sat there on the roof for a little while longer. Percy was admiring the stars as I continued to stare at my hands. The pictures of tonight entered my mind. My mother crying, my father upset, and the truth being told. _

_I didn't know Percy was looking at me until he brushed the hair out of my face to look at me. His green eyes met mine and I could tell he was worried. "Are you all right?"_

_"No. My parents are getting a divorce, Percy." _

_"I know that. You just seem really pale." He brought his hand up to my forehead. _

_Tears streamed down my face. "I'm thinking about the reason why."_

_"Do you mind telling me?" he said softly._

_I took a shuddering breath. I said one word. "Pregnancy."_

_"Pregnancy?" he asked. "Is your mom pregnant? If she is, I don't-"_

_"No, my mom is not pregnant."_

_Percy looked even more confused. His eyebrows were scrunched up together. It was a cute expression really. "Well, I don't think your father can-"_

_"My father cheated on my mom!" I said the words escaping me. His eyes widened. "And he thinks that the girl he cheated on my mom with is pregnant."_

_It turned silent. "Why would your dad do that?" he whispered. "I mean, your parents... I'm so sorry, Annabeth," Percy said holding me closer to him. _

_We were ten years old, but we both knew the definition of cheating and pregnancy and how it was wrong to get someone else pregnant that wasn't your wife. _

_After a while, we found out that he was not the father of the baby, that someone else was. But that didn't stop my birth mother from leaving. She didn't want to take this chance again. No matter how hard my father begged or told her they would go to a marriage counsler, she still left._

_And I haven't seen her since I was ten years old. _

I returned back to reality when Malcolm put his hand on my arm. I pushed it off me and walked away from the dining table, running up the stairs to my bedroom. I heard someone's footsteps behind me and my father calling my name. I ignored him. When I entered my bedroom, I shut the door behind me and locked the door. I grabbed my jacket off the back of my chair and opened the window. I went out onto the roof of the house and easily climbed down the tree beside it.

When my feet settled on the ground, I instantly started running. My phone was in the pocket of my jacket. After I thought I was good enough distant from my house, I scrolled through my contacts, contemplating who to call. Katie? No. Rachel? Maybe. Nico? No. My eyes stayed glued to one of the names that I could never get rid out of my contacts, no matter how hard I tried.

I dialed the number and pressed the speaker against my ear.

"Hello?" his deep voice said into the phone.

"Percy," I whispered, grateful that he picked up. "I need a favor."

**OOOOOOOOOOOH!**

**What'd you think?! **

**Now, you know why Annabeth's parents divorced. I wanted to make it realistic and most divorces are because of cheating. **

**Someone said they wanted Malcolm to be in a chapter so I decided to put him in and being the older brother, he would be protective of his sister. **

**Did you like how I brought Thalia into the story? Oh, and you're starting to get into Percy's story... oooooh. **

**What do you want in the next chapter? **

**Let me know!**

**-HunterofArtemis32**


	16. Chapter 16

**Hey all!**

**500 REVIEWS! Thank you so much! **

**Have I ever told you that I love cliffhangers?**

**In my stories, I love them because I can picture so many of you ripping your hair out or screaming at the screen. But in other stories... grrr, I hate them. **

**I'm still reading the Mark of Athena. Yeah, I know. I'm almost finished though so I'll probably be posting something about that in the next chapter. **

**Anywhooo, let's get on with the story! ENJOY!**

**ANNABETH'S POV:**

I sat on the bench, shuddering against the cold while I waited for Percy to come pick me up. I was expecting him to decline, but he asked me where I was and when I told him, he was already leaving his house. The stars were out tonight, reminding me of the night on the roof. After I finished telling him about my parent's divorce, he started to make me laugh. That's one of the reasons why I love him.

His familiar truck pulled up next to the curb and I pushed myself off the bench, walking over to where he was parked. I opened the passenger side's door and climbed into his warm truck. Percy sat in the driver's seat, clad in jeans and a sweatshirt. His hair was messier than usual.

"Did I wake you?" I asked taking in his appearance.

He gave a wave of his hand. "No. I was just watching a movie."

I pulled the seatbelt over me, trying to get warm. My fingers were freezing. The jacket I was wearing didn't do justice against the cold. It was more of a jacket to wear with an outfit that was made for fall time. Out of nowhere, his sweatshirt appeared on my lap. I glanced over to see him wearing only a t-shirt.

"Percy-"

He turned the heater on the highest it could go. "Put it on. Don't worry about me, Annabeth. I'm fine."

"Thank you," I mumbled pulling off my damp jacket and switching it with his warm one. It was a little big, but I didn't care. I snuggled into the material, bringing my hands to my chest.

He pulled out onto the road. "Is it all right if we go back to my place?"

"That's fine," I muttered resting my head on the window. "Just get me away from this area."

Percy turned his turning signal on as we sat at a red light. "Everything okay?"

I gave a small laugh. "Not really. My brother came home today and my family being the way they are, we started fighting about... just typical stuff."

"About me?" he asked.

I glanced at him. "How'd you know?"

Percy shrugged. "From all the times you tell me your parents hate me and your brother would love to kill me, I just figured it was about me."

"It was about other stuff too," I said.

He turned onto the road we needed to go down. "Anything you want to tell me? I promise I'm not gonna go and run to my friends," he added with a grin.

A smile tugged on the corner of my lips. "I kind of lashed out of my parents."

"Hmm," he muttered.

I ran a hand through my hair. "Yeah, and I brought up the fact that I haven't forgave my dad yet about what he did."

"You haven't?" he asked.

"I've been trying to, but I just can't seem to do it," I answered honestly.

He glanced over at me. He must have noticed that I was holding my hands close to my mouth. "What's wrong?"

"I'm trying to get warm."

Percy nodded and after a minute, he raised his arm in a hugging gesture. I looked at him with an eyebrow raised. He flickered his eyes to his arm. "Come here."

"What?" I asked confused.

"Body heat. It'll warm you up faster," he said.

"Look who's paying attention in Health," I joked but undid my seatbelt in the process. Percy shot me a look. I scooted over and rested my head on his shoulder, instantly warmer. He wrapped his arm around me, driving with his left hand. "Gah, so much better."

He chuckled, "Knew it probably would."

My hands grasped the cotton of his shirt. "Thank you," I mumbled into his shoulder.

"No problem," Percy whispered paying attention to the road.

I'm going to be honest with you. I never knew I would love being in his arms as much as I did right now.

When we pulled up to his apartment complex, I was almost asleep. The breeze of the heat blowing on my face, the gentle ride against the road, and with Percy's heartbeat... it created a lullaby. A nice, soft lullaby.

He pulled into an empty parking space and we sat there for a minute, letting the warmth absorb us. The radio was playing softly in the background. It couldn't have been more perfect. His arm was still wrapped around me. I was snuggled up against his side. I never felt more... safe in my entire life.

I shut the door behind me, walking towards the entrance to the building until I heard Percy gently say, "Wait."

I turned around to see him standing next to his truck with his hands in his pockets. He sighed and cocked his head in the left direction. "Can I show you something?"

I buried my hands deeper into his sweatshirt. "Sure."

Percy held his hand out with a serious look on his face. I took a deep breath before sliding my hand out of the pocket and into his hand. He clutched it tightly. He started to walk towards the back of the apartment building. I was confused on why he was taking me back here, but I continued to follow him.

Percy stopped in front of a ladder in the back, gesturing to it. I glanced at him before stepping onto the first step. He followed behind me as I climbed to an unknown place. I finished climbing the steps, my feet setting on solid ground. We were on the roof of his apartment complex.

Wow. You had an amazing view of the city and sky from up here.

Percy walked over to the ledge and sat down, his feet dangling in the air. As I watched him, I thought he was completely idiotic. What was he doing sitting on a ledge far away from the ground beneath him?

"Come over here, Annabeth," he said softly.

I raised an eyebrow. "Do what?"

"I'm not gonna bite," Percy glanced behind him with a grin on his face. He noticed that I was standing away from the ledge as far as possible.

I took another deep breath. I walked over and carefully sat down beside him. We stared down at the city in front of us. New York City was the city that never sleeps. Lights were on on almost every single building. It wasn't as chilly as earlier, but we were also sitting next to a heater. I looked over at Percy and he was staring at the city; his green eyes glued to the bright lights.

"Annabeth, do you want to hear stories about the gang?" Percy asked in the dead silence.

**PERCY'S POV:**

I turned my head to see her reaction and she looked shocked by my sudden question, but for some reason, I wanted to tell the stories. The stories about why people chose to become a gang member.

And I wanted to tell her. Only her.

"But you have to promise to not tell anyone them," I said strictly.

Annabeth nodded, her grey eyes meeting mine. "I promise."

I cleared my throat, thinking about which member to start with. "Any requests?"

"Yours," she whispered.

I shook my head.

"Well, then, Grover's," Annabeth answered.

"Grover's..." I repeated. She stared at the view in front of her. "Well, he started sophmore year. His family needed the money, and he talked to me about it for a while. He asked about what exactly we did and after a few weeks of deciding, he became apart of the gang. His story isn't really long. His is actually the most simplest one."

She continued to stare at the view. "I would like to hear Beckendorf's story."

I looked at the stars. "Beck's mother died. She had cancer, and after his mother passed away, his father turned into a drug addict. He was thirteen when it happened. His father became abusive and Beck didn't have any one that cared about him and he didn't care about anyone.

"He joined the gang freshman year like I did, thinking that no one would care if he did, but after he met his girlfriend Silena, who has shown him what life actually has to offer, he tried getting out.

"When you're in a gang, you can't get out easily. Either you're kicked out, and you have to do something really wrong to get kicked out, or..." I trailed off. Annabeth glanced at me and I met her eyes. I could tell that she knew what what I meant. "So after senior year, he's going to do one last run with the gang and then leave. Move somewhere with Silena. Get away from the gang business."

"Hmm," Annabeth muttered.

I sighed, leaning back to lie against the roof's surface. The stars were glistening above. I loved coming out here and staring at the lights. It was relaxing after a day of putting your life in danger. Annabeth wrapped her arms around her knees. The night was cool and silent besides the few honks from cars.

"What kind of stuff do you guys do?" she asked breaking the silence.

"Well, we get materials. The boss gives me a list of items he needs to train the recruits. We have to turn them in by a certain time. If not, I could get in trouble."

"Like serious trouble?"

"Not like death or anything, but I could get beaten."

"Wow," Annabeth gasped. "I never knew gangs were..."

"Intense?" I guessed.

She nodded. "That's one way of putting it."

"Yeah," I said looking over at her. "Any other requests?"

She shook her head 'no'. "I do have a question though."

"Shoot."

"Are there people in the gang who join just to do it?" she asked.

I nodded. "Yeah. Most of the younger members are just doing it for the title. And I hate that. I mean, they think being a gang grants you authority. It doesn't."

"Have any of you been arrested?" Annabeth inquired.

I cracked my knuckles. "Nico, Beckendorf, and I have. Most of the charges against us are because of trespassing and stealing. Assault to the police. I've been arrested for drunk driving." I looked over at her. "Why you want to know all this stuff anyway?"

"Just wanted to know what the gang does," she answered.

I continued to look at her. Annabeth let out a deep breath and pulled her knees up to her chest. She glanced behind her shoulder to look at me. Her grey eyes met my green ones. I knew she wanted to hear my story, but I'm not ready. I'm not ready to speak about that. I mindlessly reached over and my fingers stroked her back. She smiled softly, and I shot her a small grin. I pushed myself up, sitting next to her. I ran my fingers through her hair, leaning my forehead on hers.

I honestly don't know what was going on with me.

I was never going to admit this to her, but right then and there, I felt something different towards her. She was... something else. I've met every kind of girl. Clingy, shy, obsessive, flirty, wild. Annabeth was different from all of them.

As we gazed into each other's eyes, it seemed like hours had passed by. It was silent besides the occasional honks and the crickets chirping in the distance.

"Percy..." she whispered softly.

I wanted to tell her.

_No. I'm not ready._

If I can't trust Annabeth, then who else could I trust?

_Urgh. I can't do this._

Her breath hit my face; her eyes stared into mine.

I needed to tell her.

I'm ready.

"Annabeth," I muttered burying my fingers into her hair. Her grey eyes stayed attached to mine. I took a deep breath before continuing. "Annabeth, I think I'm ready to tell you my story."

**AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!**

**PLEASE DO NOT KILL ME! (runs away from arrows, knives, swords, and any other objects fans had found) I SAID DON'T!**

**So, who wants to know? **

**Sadly, you guys have to wait for Chapter Seventeen to find out the story. The story on why Percy joined the gang and why he changed. **

**Look forward for the long awaited chapter! **

**-HunterofArtemis32**


	17. Chapter 17

**Hello fans!**

**I FINISHED THE MARK OF ATHENA! I think I forgot to post this in Green Eyes, but YES! I FINISHED IT! The ending was... urgh. I was so upset! I have a note about this in the one-shot about Percy and Annabeth after the ending of MoA.**

**Anyways, how'd y'all like the last chapter? Many of you didn't like how I left it as a cliffhanger, but no fear, the chapter has FINALLY arrived!**

**Be prepared to find out Percy's story on why he changed.**

**WARNING: It may cause you to tear.**

**Enjoy.**

**ANNABETH'S POV:**

_I'm ready to tell you my story._

I blinked. Was he serious? Or was he playing with me?

"What?" I asked breathless.

Percy was serious. "I'm ready to tell you."

I nodded slowly. His green eyes met mine, and I knew that he was about to tell me. I took a deep breath, preparing myself for what he had to say.

**PERCY'S POV:**

I was looking for the right words to start it off.

"You remember when my dad died?" I began. Annabeth nodded again, staying quiet. "Well, after he passed away, I took over the man-of-the-house position. My mom was working double shifts and I had to help take care of the house and Tyson," I winced at the name. She reached up and rubbed my back. I met her eyes again and continued. "When I was fourteen, after school ended and summer was starting, my mom needed some milk."

That evening appeared in my head as I told her.

_"Percy?" my mother called._

_I walked out of my room and into the kitchen where she was standing. I was going over to Annabeth's tonight and we were planning a project. Well, more like a prank to pull on her brothers, but my mom didn't need to know that. _

_"Yeah?" I replied._

_She shot me a look and I held my hands up in a teasing way. "Yes ma'am?" _

_My mother smiled and handed me a sticky note. There were a few items written on it. I raised an eyebrow. "Do you mind going to store for me to get some milk? The others you don't have to worry about. I just need the milk for tonight's dinner."_

_"Um, Mom, I'm doing something-"_

_"I think it can wait a few minutes."_

_"I need to finish this before I go over to Annabeth's tonight," I said._

_My mother raised an eyebrow. "I asked you to go to the store-"_

_"But I'm busy!" _

_"Don't interrupt me when I'm talking to you!" she shouted. I shut my mouth. "I just need some milk and I'm sure that our health is more important than the thing you're working on."_

_"Mom-"_

_"Do what I say!" My mother yelled._

_I bit my tongue. I turned around to go back to my room and when I shut the door to get the money that was needed, I faced Tyson who was lounging on his bed. He was playing with an old toy he got for Christmas last year. _

_"I need you to do me a favor," I said grabbing the money out of the drawer. _

_Tyson looked up. "Go to the store?"_

_"How'd you know?" I asked._

_"I heard you and Mom yelling at each other," he said plainly._

_"Well, I need to finish this- um," Tyson raised an eyebrow. He didn't know either. "This thing that Annabeth asked for me to make and it's important that I finish it tonight."_

_He shrugged. "Mom asked you to do it. She doesn't like me going out at night."_

_I sighed. I sat down next to him. "Please, Ty. This is the only time I'll ask you to do this for me. Just for tonight."_

_Tyson glanced over at me. He placed his toy down and held his hand out. "Fine, I'll go."_

_"Thanks, little man," I said messing with his hair and placing the money in his hand._

_After he left the room, I went back to the small desk we shared and began writing out the plan on a black sheet of paper. I heard my mom call me again. And not in the nicest way. _

_"PERSEUS JACKSON!" She screeched._

_I flinched. That didn't sound good. I walked out of the room and back into the kitchen, where my brother was sitting down at the dining table with my mother facing me with her hands on her hips. I looked around the room and slowly stepped in, my arms hanging by my side._

_"I told you to go to the store, and instead you're going to send your little brother!" She yelled._

_I glanced at Tyson and he gave me a look that said 'I'm sorry'. "I told him-"_

_"You better tell me the truth. You're already in enough trouble," she said. _

_I bit my lip. "I asked him to do it."_

_"Because you don't want to stop working on your stupid project?" My mom asked._

_I nodded. "Yes ma'am."_

_"Well, you're grounded-"_

_"For what?" I yelled._

_"For asking your little brother to get something when I asked you to do it," she explained._

_I rolled my eyes. "It's just milk!"_

_"Don't you dare roll your eyes at me!" she yelled. "You're grounded for two weeks. No friends over, no TV, and you're staying home tonight."_

_"What?" I asked._

_"That's final."_

_"Do I still have to go get the milk?" _

_"Yes."_

_I sighed. "Why can't Tyson do it? He's eleven years old. I was going out at this time when I was his age."_

_"I just don't want him going out."_

_"Why? Because you like him better?" I asked angrily. _

_"Percy!" she shrieked._

_I shrugged. "What? I know you do. You barely acknowledge me, and if you do, it's to tell me to go get something! Tyson never has to do anything."_

_"Percy, honey-"_

_"No!" I said. "He needs to take some responsibility in this family." After I said that, I stormed off into my bedroom. I slammed the door behind me. _

"It's not that I didn't have a good relationship with Tyson, it was just I did almost everything. I took the garbage out, I got groceries. I cleaned the house. I just didn't want to do it this time. And I was angry because my mother grounded me for such a stupid reason."

Annabeth continued to stay silent while I told the story. It was getting to the hard part. The part where we found out what happened.

_There was a loud knock on the door. _

_I was sitting on the couch, waiting for Tyson to return home. I just got done apologizing to my mom for my behavior. She was standing by the small stove, pushing the vegetables around in the pan. _

_The knock repeated. I stood up from the couch when my mom walked over to the door, grabbing the handle. She opened the door and there was a police officer standing in the hallway. We both glanced at each other with eyebrows raised. _

_"Are you the family of Tyson Jackson?"  
><em>

_My mom nodded slowly. "Yes. May I ask what's going on?"_

_"Miss, I don't know how to tell you this... but your son was shot. I guess he was returning home and someone drove by and struck." The police officer looked down. He took a deep breath before continuing. "Miss, your son is dead." _

_Those words struck me instantly. I froze in the middle of the living room. _

_"What?" my mom asked. I could hear her voice trembling. Her jaw was shaking. "Please. Please, tell me it's not true."_

_"I'm sorry, miss, but it is," he said softly. _

_I walked towards my mom and grabbed her. She hugged me tightly, sobbing horribly. Tears streamed down my cheeks as I realized something. His death was my fault. If I hadn't of gave my mom a hard time or told him to go, he would be alive. _

_After I let my mom go, I dropped to my knees, holding my stomach tightly. A knot was forming. A knot of guilt. I hung my head as tears fell. Tyson was dead. And it was my fault._

I stopped talking.

My throat was clogged.

I clasped Annabeth's hand tightly.

"Percy..." she whispered. "I'm so sorry."

"His death was my fault. If I hadn't of yelled at my mom or told him to go, he would still be here," I was letting everything spill. No more secrets. No more lies. "If I went, I might have had a chance of surviving. Maybe it wouldn't have happened. I don't know, but I told him to go. I argued with my mom. I was being selfish. I sent him to his death."

"Percy-"

"Annabeth, it's my fault!" I said looking at her. I let my guard down. The tears I've been holding in for years came running down my cheeks. "He died because of me..."

I began to sob. I haven't told this story to anyone. And talking about it now made me visual everything. My vision blurred as tears filled my eyes. I dropped my head into my hands; hiding my face. She pulled my hands away and brought them towards her. I broke.

Annabeth cradled my head to her chest, just letting me get it out. I wrapped my arms around her, letting the tears fall. This is the first time I've broke down in front of someone, and I have to admit, I was glad it was Annabeth.

Her hands stroked through my hair; she whispered soothing words into my ear. She comforted me. She just sat there and held me.

After a minute of weeping, I swallowed the lump in my throat. It was so hard talking about this, but I wanted to tell her. I had to tell somebody.

For some reason, something told me to tell Annabeth.

And I'm glad I did.

"Percy, listen to me. It wasn't your fault."

"Yes, it was."

Annabeth lifted my chin and made me look at her. "No, it wasn't. You had no idea that was going to happen. No one did."

"But why him? Why all of people? Why'd it have to be him?"

She shook her head. "I don't know. But I do know something. His death was not your fault."

"How do you know that?" I asked.

"I just do," she whispered.

I closed my eyes, taking deep breaths. She continued to hold me underneath the starry night. We sat there in silence for a few minutes. That night was so vivid in my mind.

"Why did you join a gang?"

It took me a minute to answer.

"I lost my way," I answered honestly. "I thought the guilt would go away if I drank and smoked. That summer was so hard for me, Annabeth. You have no idea how hard it was," I explained glancing over at her. "I joined a gang because my mother almost fell into depression and I had to take responsibility for everything. You earned a lot of money in the business and people feared you so I just entered. And at the beginning of junior year, the boss offered me position of gang leader. I took it."

She sat next to me, comprehending everything I had just said. "That's why you joined a gang?" she asked. "To take care of your mom?"

I nodded.

"Then why'd you change?"

"The guilt. I thought maybe drinking and smoking and partying would get rid of the guilt. I also changed to play the part. It just became permanent after a while."

Annabeth looked down at the ground, fumbling with her thumbs. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't know how," I said. "It's hard explaining it right now. I didn't know how people would treat me and I thought it would be better than having to explain it all."

She gave me a sad smile. "I'm so sorry, Percy."

I sighed. "Don't tell anybody. Please. No one knows."

"I wasn't going to," she said.

The silence returned.

"Percy?"

"Hmm?"

"Thank you for telling me," Annabeth said looking at me.

I met her grey eyes. "Thanks for listening."

She smiled.

"Annabeth?"

"Hmm?"

I took a deep breath. "I'm sorry for hurting you."

She looked shocked. "What?" she asked her voice breaking.

"I'm sorry for pushing you away. I'm sorry... for everything. Everything I've done to you. It was stupid. It was wrong. I'm sorry about the rumors, the fights, the lies... I'm just- so, so sorry," I apologized. I hardly never apologized. I actually felt bad for the stuff I've done to her; I just didn't realize it until now.

Annabeth gasped softly. I glanced over to her. She looked over at me at the same moment, and our eyes met. "Thank you," she muttered. Her grey eyes looked extremely beautiful with the lights shining. "And I forgive you."

I shot her a light smile. I've never felt more happy in my life.

A few minutes later, we were leaning back onto the roof; our backs against the ground. Her head was resting on my chest as my arm was wrapped around her waist. My other hand was stroking her arm lightly. Annabeth eventually fell asleep, but I laid awake.

I tried my best to stay away from her, but I couldn't bring myself to do that.

Now one question floated around in my head.

What if her life is in danger because of me?

**(wiping tears away from Percy's breakdown) **

**What'd you think of his secret? Was it written well? What do you think is going to happen between Percy and Annabeth now?**

**Sorry if Percy or Annabeth was written OOC, but Percy was telling the story on how he changed and he felt guilty for his brother's death. I don't think he would have been too happy telling the story. **

**Now one question remains:**

**What's going to happen next?**

**-HunterofArtemis32**


	18. Chapter 18

**HELLO FANS!**

**600 REVIEWS! Thank y'all so much! :D**

**Many of you loved the last chapter because you found out why Percy changed. Was it what you expected? What do you think it's gonna happen in this chapter?**

**We shall find out and see.**

**ANNABETH'S POV:**

The sunrise was so beautiful.

I was sitting on the roof, mesmorized by the beautiful sight in front of me. I never got to see the sunrise. It was always hidden by the large massions on my street. Percy was asleep next to me, snoring lightly and drool coming out of the corner of his mouth. I leaned over and wiped the spit off with the sleeve of his sweatshirt. He awoke at the touch and his eyes met mine. He smiled. I smiled back at him.

"Good morning, Sleeping Beauty," I teased pushing myself up.

"Good morning," he said with a rasp in his voice. He chuckled after looking at me for a second.

I raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"We stayed out here all night."

"And?"

"Won't your parents like, put out a search warrant?" Percy asked.

I rolled my eyes. "They're probably not even worried." I glanced over at him. "What about your mom?"

"She's used to me being out all night," he replied.

I pointed towards the sunrise. "It's really beautiful."

"Eh, I've seen something better."

"What?"

"I'm looking at her," Percy said.

I blushed. He pushed himself off the ground and sat behind me, wrapping his arms around me. He pulled me into his chest, and I leaned back into his touch. I instantly became warmer. The sun was still coming up so there was no warmth. He tightened his arms and I smiled, lacing our fingers together that laid on my stomach. Percy rested his chin on my shoulder. I shuddered from his hot breah blowing on my neck.

"Perce?" I whispered.

"Hmm?" he mumbled.

"Are we okay?" I gestured between us.

He nodded. "Yeah."

The silence returned.

"Are we a c-couple?" I asked nervously.

Percy laughed softly. "Do you want to be?"

I swallowed the lump in my throat. I turned my head to stare into his eyes. As I lost myself in his green orbs, the old Percy came into my mind. Specifically, one afternoon under the clouds, trying to determine what shapes they made. We were about twelve years old, and we just entered the most awkward three years of our lives: middle school. That afternoon was when I realized that I liked him. His flaws, his corniness, his smile- I would blush every time he grinned at me- and most of all, his beautiful sea green eyes. They would remind me of all the memories of our childhood.

I returned to reality and he smirked, knowing that I blanked out on him. Those green eyes continued to gaze into mine and I knew what I wanted. I wanted to try. I've loved him since freshman year and I've been waiting for this moment for almost four years.

"I'll try it if you want to," he said. After he said those words, it made it easier to answer.

I took a deep breath and nodded slowly. I didn't want my voice to give out on me, and I knew it would. Percy grinned. I bit my lip, letting a giant smile break through.

"So I'm taking it as we're a couple?" I asked wanting to make sure.

He lifted his hand and stroked the side of my face. "Are you sure you want to be in a relationship with me?"

I nodded again. "There's nothing I want more." A thought came to my mind. "Do you promise not to dump me in a week for another girl?"

Percy rested his forehead against mine. I stared into those pretty green eyes. "There's no girl better than you."

I smiled, and after having a small argument with myself, I cautiously leaned in and kissed him. He seemed caught off guard, but he returned the kiss. My fingers roamed through his black locks as he pulled me closer. I loved this feeling. The feeling of being able to be together and not have to worry about playing the part. It was just us, and there was no one to ruin this moment.

When we pulled apart, his signature grin appeared on his face and he stared at me in a way that I only wanted him to look at me like that.

**AT SCHOOL NEXT MONDAY**

"What'd you do this weekend?" Rachel asked me Monday morning.

I dropped my backpack to the ground and opened my locker. "Nothing really."

"Did your brother come home?"

"Yes," I replied.

Rachel raised an eyebrow. "I thought you guys always did something when he's here."

"Well, my family and I got into an argument," I said. "I hardly spoke to any of them. I was so angry. I was disappointed too. I wanted to have a good weekend with my brother and instead I fight with them."

But I left out the great part out. Percy had told me his entire story. And we're now together because of it.

"Oh, here comes trouble," Rachel muttered.

I watched him and his gang walk into the school building. He was talking with his friend, Beckendorf. They both started laughing about something. On the way towards their lockers, Percy glanced over at me and his adorable grin appeared on his face. I couldn't help but bite my lip and let a small smile come onto mine.

"Ba-what-HUH?" Rachel exclaimed.

I broke the gaze and looked over at her. "What?"

"He just smiled a-at YOU!" she gasped.

"And?"

"Did something happen between you two?"

I laughed. "Why would you think that?"

She shrugged. "You know me. I come up with strange conclusions about everything."

"No, nothing happened," I lied. Percy and I both agreed to not let anyone know about our relationship. If the wrong people found out, it could put us both in danger.

Rachel eyed me. "Are you sure?"

I nodded. "I'm positive."

If Rachel finds out I lied about us, she'll have both of our heads. She can be pretty scary when she wants to be.

**FIRST PERIOD**

I was finishing the problem of the day when someone tapped on my shoulder. I looked to my right and Percy was sitting in his seat, which was very close to mine.

"We can't suddenly act like we don't hate each other anymore. People would get suspicious," Percy whispered tapping his pencil against a sheet of paper.

I nodded. "You know how to act?" I teased, winking at him.

He shot me a look.

"Stop tapping your pencil," I said starting an argument. "I can't think."

"Wow. Annabeth Chase can't think? Ladies and gentlemen, the world has just ended."

I glared at him. I noticed that he was sitting close to me (I didn't really mind)."Why are you so close to me, Jackson?" I asked louder, raising an eyebrow.

Percy grinned. "Oh, because I can, Chase."

"Can you move?"

"Uh, no. I don't feel like it."

"Jackson," I said firmly. "Move over."

Mrs. Dodds was making sure everyone had their homework out and she stopped by our table. She must have noticed our bickering. "Mr. Jackson, are you bothering Ms. Chase?"

"No ma'am, she's bothering me," he answered.

I scoffed. "Of course you would blame it on someone else."

"Well, you're so easy to blame stuff on, teacher's pet," Percy said bitterly.

Dang, we were good actors.

"Stop it, both of you!" Mrs. Dodds hissed. "I've had enough with your constant arguing! If you interrupt the class again, I will send both of you to the principal's office!"

"Yes ma'am," I said softly.

Percy just rolled his eyes. She walked away grumbling about rude children or something like that. I glanced over at the gang leader who happened to be my boyfriend- wow, that's so weird saying that- and smiled at him. He winked at me, turning his attention onto the teacher.

After first period, I was walking through the halls with Rachel. We were going to our next class when Percy and one of his gang members slammed into us, making me drop my books and backpack. I gripped the strap of my bag, but since I didn't zip it, everything fell out. I glared at him.

Oh, and it was real. I didn't know all my stuff was going to fall out. Urgh.

Percy walked closer to me with his arms crossed. "Don't mess with me, Chase." He leaned in so I felt his breath of my face. His eyes locked with mine. I wanted him to wrap his arms around me but we weren't allowed to show any signs of us being together. "I get even."

Rachel defended me. "Don't you have anyone else's life to ruin?"

"As a matter of fact, I don't. I just like messing with your friend here."

"Well, you better stop."

"Or what?" Percy retorted.

Rachel backed down. She was independent, but she didn't like playing cards with Percy. "I-I-"

"You won't do nothing. You dare wouldn't threaten a gang leader," he said grinning. He glanced at me and his green eyes sparkled. No one noticed besides myself. He probably hated doing this, but it was for my safety, and for his. Percy walked away with the gang members, not giving us a second glance.

"Annabeth, I'm so sorry," Rachel apologized while helping me pick up my stuff.

"Why? None of this is your fault," I said.

She shrugged. "Maybe not, but I hate the fact that I can't do anything to stop him from bullying you."

"It's fine. I've dealt with it for three years. I think I can handle one more, because after graduation, I don't have to deal with him or his gang ever again."

Rachel handed me some notebooks. "True. I still feel bad."

"Don't be. I'm a big girl. I can handle it," I reassured her.

She nodded. I zipped my backpack with all my materials in it and started walking towards second period with her.

**AFTER SCHOOL**

"Do you need a ride?" Rachel asked. School just ended, and my car was at home. Malcolm drove me to school. He apologized for everything that happened and I forgave him. He was leaving today, and I'm glad for getting on good terms with him before he left.

"Nah, I'm fine," I answered.

She unlocked her car. "Are you sure?"

"Mm-hmm," I nodded.

Rachel blew me a kiss before getting into her car. I waved goodbye and when her car disappeared from the parking lot, I started walking down the sidewalk away from the school. I stopped to check the time on my phone. I looked behind me. Percy came around the corner in his black truck. When he pulled up to the sidewalk, I quickly opened the door, and climbed in.

"Thanks," I said.

He stopped, flipping on the turning signal. "No problem."

"You know, we're very good actors."

Percy chuckled. "We are. Did that shove hurt?"

"No," I replied. "I just wasn't expecting all my stuff to fall out."

"So that glare you sent me was real?"

"Yep," I laughed.

He shook his head, laughing. "My place?"

"Of course."

Percy reached over and laced his fingers through mine. I smiled.

"Is your mom allowed to know about- this?" I gestured between the two of us.

He sighed, letting go of my hand to make a turn. "Well, I'm figuring out how to tell her."

"Is your mom ever in danger?" I asked.

"No," he answered. "I mean, not that I'm aware of. The boss doesn't mess with our family."

I scooted over, and rested my head on his shoulder. Percy continued to hold my hand, our fingers intertwined. When he pulled into the apartment's parking lot, he turned the engine off but we sat in the truck for a few minutes. I pulled my knees up to my chest. Percy put an arm on the seat behind me. He rubbed the side of my arm, making me sigh in content.

I've always wanted this moment to happen, I just never knew it was ever going to come true.

Suddenly Percy was scrambling to get out of the truck. He opened the door and turned to look at me. "Stay in here. Lock the doors. I have to deal with something."

I nodded, watching his figure. I pressed my finger against the lock doors button, keeping an eye on him. He glanced towards me as the person he was talking to pointed at the truck. I instantly froze.

**PERCY'S POV:**

Santiago pointed at my truck. I followed his hand and my eyes locked onto Annabeth. She sat in the driver's seat, staring at us. "Who's that?"

"No one, man," I said trying to get his attention off of her.

His eyes widened. "Is that Annabeth Chase?"

I shrugged. "Yeah. And?"

"What's she doing in your truck?"

"She needed a ride."

"And you gave her one? You? Out of all people?"

"Why do you need to know?" I crossed my arms. "I'm the gang leader. No one needs to know my business. Not even you."

Santiago smirked. "What? Are you two sneaking around or something?"

I gritted my teeth. "No."

"Then what's she doing in your truck?"

"I already told you. Stop worrying about my freaking business," I snapped turning to walk back to my truck.

"If the boss finds out about this, you'll know what will happen-"

I quickly spun around and grabbed him by the shirt. Santiago seemed caught off guard. I slammed him hard into the wall of the apartment complex. "I don't have to worry about the boss because nothing is going on. But I will warn you. If she gets hurt for no reason, and I mean, if there is one scratch on her... I swear I'll find you and beat the freaking crap out of you," I threatened.

Santagio gulped. "Okay, man. I-I'm sorry."

"Whatever," I shoved him once more before letting go of his shirt.

I walked back over to my truck and waited for her to unlock the door. I grabbed her wrist and my bag, throwing it over my shoulder. Santiago watched us as we made our way to the front of the building. I turned my head and glared at him. Annabeth entered the apartment building with my hand resting on her back, to make dang well sure he wasn't going to try and touch her.

When we entered my apartment, I threw my backpack down and collapsed onto the couch. My mom wasn't supposed to be home until later, but that was the last of my worries. Annabeth dropped her bag next to mine and looked at me.

"What happened out there?" she insisted placing her hands on her hips.

I ran my hands through my hair. "He knows."

"Who knows?"

"Santiago. He's one of the gang members. He knows about us."

Annabeth's eyes widened. "What?"

"The way I acted told him. I got angry and defensive when he mentioned telling the boss, and that's when I slammed him into the wall."

She sat down in one of the chairs by the small TV stand. "What's going to happen now?"

"No idea. Maybe since I threatened him, he won't tell. I don't know. I just know that I have to keep an eye on you. Santiago can't be trusted," I explained. I looked over at her. Her arms were wrapped around her knees. Her grey eyes met mine across the room. I could tell she was worried.

"I'll understand if you don't want to keep this going," I found myself saying.

She took a deep breath. I almost thought she was considering it. "No," Annabeth said firmly. "I'm not ready to end this. I don't _want_ to end this."

I blinked. I'll admit I was shocked to see her wanting to continue this relationship. "Why?"

"What?" she glanced over at me with a confused expression.

"Why would you still want to be with me?" I asked.

Annabeth shrugged. She stood up from the chair and walked towards me. She stopped in front of me and ran a hand through my hair while clutching my other one. "Because I love you, Seaweed Brain."

_Seaweed Brain_. The nickname she always called me when we were younger.

"Why are you in love with me? After everything I've done to you?" I queried.

"We had a special connection. We do now," Annabeth smiled, her grey eyes sparkling. "I mean, love is a weird feeling to explain. I feel safe and secure. I feel happy. I feel like I can be myself. I've never felt like that, except for the times I've been with you." She became silent. "Sometimes after I got home, I hated feeling that emotion towards you. I wanted to get rid of it. So many times.

"But I kept feeling a tug, telling me that something's going to happen, and look at us now. Yes, you may have bullied me and caused me pain. However... I can't see myself with no one else but you."

Annabeth fisted a handful of my hair and pressed her forehead against mine. "I'm in love with you, Perseus Jackson."

Right then.

Right then I knew that I loved her.

I held her face in my hands as I kissed her. After it was over, Annabeth grinned at me like she knew what I meant. "I love you too," she muttered pressing her lips against mine once more.

**THIRD PERSON'S POV:**

The person held the photo in his hand. The image engraved in his mind. The blonde hair, the grey eyes, and the person who happened to be next to her: Percy Jackson.

He growled, looking up from the photo. Santiago stood in front of his desk, shifting from one foot to another. "Are you sure this is correct?"

"Yes sir."

"And they're serious?"

Santiago nodded. "By the way Percy acted, I say they are."

"Well, we can't have that, now can we?"

The boss sighed, handing the photo over to one of the members next to his chair. "Take care of him for me. And make sure he gets the message."

Santiago watched three big guys leave the underground area. He raised an eyebrow. "What are you planning on doing?"

"Making sure Percy Jackson knows who he's dealing with," the boss answered with a grin.

***runs away from screaming fans with spears* I'M NOT GIVING ANYTHING AWAY!**

**You guys have to wait for the next chapter to know what's going to happen with Percy! I'm sorry, but I love cliffhangers. **

**What'd you think of the happy part between Percy and Annabeth? Well, Percy found out that he loves Annabeth, but their relationship is going to be tested. **

**How far will they go to continue seeing each other? **

**The answer will come... **

**-HunterofArtemis32**


	19. Chapter 19

**Hey my wonderful fans!**

**How is everyone doing? Are any of you being affected by Hurricane Sandy? If so, I'm sorry and I pray that you and your family are safe. I'm hearing all these stories about what's happening in New York and all the upper east states, and I just hope all of you are safe :)**

**Many of you LOVED the last chapter because Percy figured out that he was in love with Annabeth. I was smiling when writing that part. It was so sweet. **

**But you also didn't like it because the boss sent out people to- to do what to Percy? Let's see if you found out in this chapter. **

**I hope this brings a smile to anyone's face :) ENJOY!**

**PERCY'S POV:**

"We need the last of the supplies," Beckendorf said. "Everywhere we normally go are out of them. Where are we supposed to get them?"

"Maybe the boss will understand," Nico said.

I crossed my arms and leaned back in my chair. "He wants the right amount."

"We may have to do that drug deal," Grover replied.

I threw my gun on the table. "How many times-"

"What is it with you and drug deals?" one of the younger gang members asked. His name was Trevor and he was sixteen.

Beckendorf turned towards me. "Didn't we do one together?"

"Yeah," I answered. "We were fifteen."

"Why don't you want-" another younger one asked.

"Let me tell you something. Drug deals are extremely dangerous. Beck and I didn't know what to expect when the boss asked us to do it. When we got there, it turned into a gun fight," I explained remembering that night. "We saw three people get shot to death and another one was badily injured. Beck and I watched behind boxes at the docks because the gang leader told us to hide."

Beckendorf messed with the sheets of paper in front of him. "It wasn't fun to watch. Drug deals aren't a game. It's serious."

"I say we do it," Santiago entered his opinion after a moment of silence.

I gritted my teeth. I was already pissed at him. "No one asked you."

"This-" he referred to the table the gang sat around. "-is a meeting with every member of the gang. Everyone has an opinion."

"I don't care. We're not a doing a drug deal," I said firmly.

Santiago raised an eyebrow. "I understand where you're coming from, Perce, but if you don't-"

I growled. "Shut up. I know the consequences."

"Oh, you know the consequences?" he smirked. "Don't you know the one if you get into a serious relationship?"

I felt everyone's eyes on me.

"What is he talking about, Perce?" Nico asked out of the entire gang.

"Nothing."

Santiago laughed. "Oh, what? No one knows about you and Ann-"

"Shut up!"

"I can't wait to see what the boss will do if he finds out about the two of you. He's going to love pressing his gun against her head," Santiago said with venom in his words. "And killing her right in front of your eyes-"

"SHUT UP!" I shouted standing up and grabbing my gun in the process. I pointed it at Santiago. Every gang member scrambled out of their seats and went to the edges of the room.

He held his hands up. "Getting mad, Percy? I can understand that. You don't want anything about happening to Annabeth-" I clicked the gun at the sound of her name.

"Finish that sentence and I'll shoot," I threatened gritting my teeth.

"I really hope that nothing happens to Annabeth, Percy," he said sarcastically. "The boss will hate killing a pretty girl-"

I shot. I made sure the bullet wouldn't seriously injure him, but enough to graze his skin and to indicate that I wasn't playing around. Santiago roared in pain. I threw my gun on the table, walked over to him, and slammed him into the wall. His head collided into the hard surface. My eyes glared into his. "I told you. If anything happens to her, I'm going to beat the living crap out of you."

I let go of his shirt and punched him in the face, my fist smashing against his jaw. He collapsed to the ground, moaning in pain. I turned around to face the gang members. I looked at each and every one of them. They were all staring at me with different expressions. Some read impressed, others read terrified. After I dismissed them, Beckendorf, Grover, and Nico walked over to me.

"You're dating Annabeth?" Beck asked.

I leaned against the table, gripping the edges. They were my friends, they derserved the right to know about us. They told me about their secret relationships. Instead of lying about it and making an excuse, I nodded slowly- letting them know that it was true.

"Why didn't you tell us, Perce?" Grover questioned.

I looked down at the ground. "We didn't want anyone to know, especially the boss. If he finds out about her, I could get in so much trouble. I even warned her that her life was going to be in danger. She-."

"She still chose to be with you," Beckendorf grinned. "I told that to Silena when I told her everything about my dad and my past, she still wanted to be with me."

I thought about two days ago when I expressed that I loved her.

"Yeah," I replied trying hard to keep my smile from showing. "Annabeth still wanted to be with me."

"Do you love her?" Nico asked, coming into the conversation.

All three of them grinned when I didn't answer. I just smiled.

"AHH- YOU DO!" Beckendorf pointed at me, throwing an arm around my shoulder. "Who would have thought our gang leader would find someone to love?"

"What about Callie-"

I cut Nico off. He was always the one to ruin the mood. "That was one of the biggest mistakes of my life. Don't mention that."

"But-"

"Nico!" I hissed. "Don't bring it up again."

Grover raised a hand. I rolled my eyes and told him to talk. "I'm not trying to carry on the coversation, but does Annabeth know about her?"

I shook my head. Callie- her real name was Calypso but that was everyone's nickname for her- was my first serious relationship. We dated after I turned sixteen and after a few months of dating, we had a messy break-up. She had to move away, but that wasn't the only reason.

Let's just say she wasn't the person I thought she was.

**SCENE CHANGE**

"Percy?" Annabeth said coming out of my bedroom. I was sitting on the couch, flipping through channels on the small TV as she changed into something more comfortable. I looked over at her and she was wearing my white v-neck that covered her petite waist. She also wore her navy blue sweatpants due to the chilly weather. "Seaweed Brain?"

"Huh?" I replied.

She smirked. "Checking me out, Jackson?"

I grinned. "Who wouldn't, Chase?"

She shot me a look before walking over to the couch and planting herself next to me. I wrapped an arm around her shoulders and kissed her on the head. It was a Saturday afternoon, and I loved having her with me. I was so bored until she came over. I came up with an idea. I checked the time on my phone and a grin came onto my face. Annabeth must have noticed because she pulled on the edge of my shirt.

"What?"

"Do you want to go somewhere?"

She shrugged. "Depends on where."

"It's a surprise, but I know you'll love it," I said.

She raised an eyebrow but smiled.

**IN THE CAR**

We turned the radio up as we drove down the highway. I was wearing dark jeans and my leather jacket with a white v-neck. Annabeth wore her sweatpants with one of my hoodies. She still looked beautiful even with my size-too-big hoodie on her. She was playing with her iPod. She said my name and I turned to look at her and grinned when a camera flashed. Annabeth laughed as I reached over and squeezed her knee.

"What's that for?" I laughed.

"Is it a crime to want a picture of your handsome boyfriend?" Annabeth retorted. "Anyways, where are we going?"

I shook my head. "Nah. Wait, you think I'm handsome?"

"Don't let it get to your head," she said threateningly.

I smirked. "I wouldn't dare go against the threats of Annabeth Chase."

She laughed before returning to our conversation. "So where are we going, Perce?"

"I'm not saying. I already told you it's a surprise."

She shot me a look. "I know, but I'm not big into-"

"Trust me, Wise Girl, you'll love it," I glanced at her grinning.

I knew the old nickname would make her leave the subject alone. Annabeth smiled and laced our fingers together as I continued to drive. We acted like idiots on the way there, singing horribly to songs on the radio and laughed at my- supposedly- stupid jokes. We were perfectly fine with being stupid around each other. A lot has changed since I told her my life story. She was going to be the only person to know my past. I didn't want many people knowing about it.

I glanced up at the sky and noticed that clouds were starting to gather and I knew there was a thunderstorm brewing. Annabeth scooted over in her seat and leaned her head on my shoulder. I grinned and rubbed her knee with my hand.

I was in love with this beautiful girl, and I was going to do whatever it took to keep her safe.

When I pulled into the parking lot, Annabeth perched up and stared at the place in front of us: the park. And not just any park, it was the park we used to go to as children. She gasped as I stepped out of the vehicle. I came around the front and opened the door. I took her hands in mine, dragging her out of the truck. Her feet touched the ground and her eyes met mine.

"Do you remember this place?" I asked.

She nodded. "Yes. We used to hang out here. Oh my gosh, I haven't been here in forever."

"I bet I can still beat you on the jump," I pointed towards the swings.

Annabeth smirked, placing her hands on her hips. "Oh, you're so on, Seaweed Brain!"

**ANNABETH'S POV:**

We sat on the play-area at the park, facing each other. Percy leaning on one side, me on the other. There were clouds above us; the rumble of thunder in the distance. His sea green eyes stared into mine as we talked about... well, everything. It was perfect. There was no gang business- at this very moment. No drama. No secrets, no more lies. It was just absolutely perfect. Percy telling me about what happened to his brother opened so many doors. We were starting to get somewhere.

He traced my knuckles with his thumb. "Any ideas what you want to do for the rest of the afternoon, Miss Chase?"

"Nope," I answered honestly.

Percy chuckled, changing positions. He laid his head down in my lap, his eyes locking with mine in the process. My hand automatically went to his hair, running my fingers through the soft locks.

"I thought we weren't allowed to be seen in public," I teased.

He shrugged. "No one hardly comes here."

"I was being funny," I said.

"Then you didn't do a very good job at it," Percy grinned.

I glared at him. "You're such a butt."

"Good to know," he smirked.

I gave a small smile, glancing over at the child who was playing on the swings while the mother stood next to her car, talking on her cell phone. The child swung, but not very high. I frowned. He needed help and his mother just ignored him. She was too busy taking a phone call. Percy must have noticed my expression because he spoke up.

"What's going through your mind right now?" he asked.

I continued to run my fingers through his hair. "That child can't swing high. His mother isn't even paying attention to him either."

"I'm guessing you want to push him?" Percy said.

I looked down at him with an expression that proved him right. "Kind of."

He pushed himself up, now standing on his two feet. He grabbed the bar above the small slide next to us and flung himself down the slide. I laughed as he landed after three seconds. Percy turned around and waved his hand in a gesture that said 'come on'. I stood up and jumped off the area where the climbing wall is. He caught me gently, his hands resting on my waist.

"Hey, honey," I said sweetly to the kid who was trying to swing.

He smiled at me. "Hi."

"My name's Annabeth, and this is Percy," I said pointing to the boy next to me. Percy waved his hand in a nice gesture. The child nodded.

"My name is Eli," he answered.

Percy sat down on the swing next to him. "How old are you?"

"Eight," Eli muttered.

Percy chuckled. "Well, you're ten years younger than me."

"So you're eighteen?"

"Yep," my boyfriend grinned.

Eli gave a small smile. "Cool."

"Do you want to swing?" I asked leaning against the pole next to Percy.

"Sure!" Eli answered instantly lighting up.

I smiled. I went behind him and started pushing against the seat. Eli laughed as he continued to get higher and higher. Percy started pumping his legs to join in. Soon enough, they were both swinging. Eli continued to laugh and smile as he kept going after I stopped pushing him.

"Do you want to see who can go the highest?" the gang leader asked.

"Yeah!" Eli exclaimed.

Before I could stop it, Eli's mother came stomping over here and grabbed her son's swing. He cried out but she ignored him. "How dare you come near my child?"

"We were just playing with him-"

"Not you! Him!" she pointed at Percy. "He's dangerous. I've seen photos of you and your gang all over this neighborhood."

"Ma'am-" I said but she cut me off again.

She turned towards me. "Why would you come close to him? He brings danger with him everywhere he goes."

"You don't know what you're talking about," I retorted.

The woman raised an eyebrow. "He's a gang-"

"Why don't you stop judging him and actually learn what's on the inside?"

She didn't reply. She fixed her blouse and grabbed her son's hand. Eli walked with his mom but turned his head to wave bye to us. After they disappeared, I turned towards Percy and put my hands on my hips.

"Sorry about that- MMPH!"

His lips crashed onto mine and his arms encircled my waist. I slid my hands up his chest and wrapped my arms around his neck, knotting my fingers in his hair. The kiss ended a few seconds later, but we held each other for a while. It felt right to be pressed up against him; my head resting on his chest; his arms around me.

"Thanks for defending me," he muttered in my ear. "But I could have handle it myself."

I laughed. "I know, but I felt like it was my duty to defend you."

"You're such a nerd," Percy teased brushing a strand of hair out of my face.

I raised my hands in a shrugging motion. "Is that a bad thing?"

"No, as long as you're my nerd."

I snorted. "You're so cheesy."

"Hey, you must have liked it because you snorted."

"Mention that to anyone and I won't hesitate to throw you in the trash can," I said.

Percy laughed. "I'm not."

"You know sometimes I miss the bickering segments in our relationship. I'm glad we still have some," I said grabbing his hands and pulling him towards the truck.

"I'm taking it as you're ready to go," he said digging through his pockets to get his keys.

"I need to get back before five, remember?" I opened the passenger side of the truck and slid inside. He slid into the driver's seat before starting the vehicle. The engine revved.

"That's right. I kind of got distracted."

"By what?"

Percy glanced over at me but didn't say anything. I raised an eyebrow. He just grinned.

I had a pretty good idea what he got distracted by.

**SCENE CHANGE**

Percy didn't want to take a chance so he dropped me off by my neighborhood, just not in front of my house. I leaned over and gave him a quick kiss on the lips before opening the door and leaving him grinning like an idiot. He stayed there until I sent him the signal that meant he could leave. He gave me a two-finger salute, and I watched him drive off. I turned around and continued to walk down the road.

I opened the door to my house and walked into the kitchen, jumping when I saw my parents sitting at the dining table. They were discussing my dad's latest project. I could smell food cooking. Melanie got up from her seat and smiled at me. I sent a small smile in return. It was still awkward for us to be around each other from the dinner incident.

"Did you have fun time?" Melanie asked sparking a conversation.

"Yeah, it was fun."

My dad looked over at me. "Where exactly did you go today?"

"I went out with one of my friends," I answered. It wasn't really a lie. I mean, he was one of my friends, I just left the word 'boy' out of it. "Um, well, I'm pretty tired. I'm going to take a shower. Just let me know when dinner's ready."

When I entered my bedroom, I flopped down on my bed and cradled my hands to my chest, breathing in the familiar scent that came along with the hoodie I was wearing.

**PERCY'S POV:**

I shut the door to my truck and started walking towards the entrance of my apartment building. I noticed that there were two guys walking a few feet behind me. I contemplated on running into the complex but decided against it. Maybe they were harmless.

I was wrong.

Out of nowhere, another one appeared and the two behind me grabbed my arms. I struggled against them but the one in front of me punched me straight in the face. I groaned from the sudden force. The same one kicked me in the stomach, making me almost drop to my knees. If the other guys didn't have my arms, I would have fell face-first.

"Perseus Jackson," the leader said.

I moaned from the pain. "What?"

"I have a message from the boss to you," he grabbed my face and bore his eyes into mine.

I swallowed the lump in my throat. "What does he want?"

"Four words," he growled. "Stay. Away. From. Annabeth."

My eyes widened. "What?"

"He knows about her. He's disappointed. He thought you would be the one who would enforce the rule, but instead you abuse it," the leader smacked me across the face.

My jaw ached. "Don't- please don't hurt her."

"Aww, you care for her. That's sweet."

"I swear if you touch her-"

He kicked me in the torso again. "We won't hurt her. Just you."

The hands on my arms disappeared and I was thrown onto the ground. Hard. My face collided onto the pavement and I felt gravel dig into the side of my head. The leader and his companions took turns kicking me. I held my stomach in pain as they walked away from where I laid. My mouth was filled with blood. I've never felt so defeated in my life. I could barely move. Every time I would, my ribs would scream with pain.

If the boss knew about Annabeth... I don't care what those guys said, she's not safe.

Her life is in danger because of me.

What have I done?

**OH. MY. GOSH.**

**NOOOOOOOO!**

**Do you think Percy will tell Annabeth or will he do something drastic again? What's going to happen with Annabeth? What would you like to see in the chapters to come? **

**Oh, just giving out an warning, this story will have twenty-five (25) chapters. We're getting close to the end. **

**I hope you liked it! **

**-HunterofArtemis32**


	20. Chapter 20

**Hola fans!**

**Anyways, the last chapter's ending wasn't the brightest. Percy got beat up, but it's all apart of the story. Let's find out what happened afterwards. **

**ENJOY!**

**ANNABETH'S POV:**

The rest of the weekend was... silent.

That was the only word that came to mind. I had tried to call Percy yesterday afternoon, and his mother had answered telling me that he was asleep. There was a different tone in her voice but I didn't say anything about it. I tried again and no one answered. I wasn't one of those obsessed girlfriends but every time I would text him, I would get no reponse. The same thing with calling. I only called him four times throughout the weekend. Each time, except for that one when his mother answered, it went straight to his voicemail.

I was worried. I hoped I didn't do anything to make him want to avoid me.

On Monday morning, I entered the school building and was immediately ambushed by his friends. Nico grabbed my wrist and dragged me over with Percy's friends, Beckendorf and Grover into a small corner by the lockers. All three of them started asking me bunch of questions and I hardly understood any of them due to the fact that they were all talking at once.

"SHUT UP!" I shouted and they became silent. I took a deep breath and looked over at Nico. "Okay, what is going on?"

"Have you seen Percy?" he asked.

"He hasn't answered any of our calls," Grover said.

Beckendorf sighed. "We haven't heard anything from Saturday night."

"Neither have I," I told him. They all looked shocked. Then a question appeared in my mind. Why would they be asking me? Unless they knew something. "What are you guys asking me?"

"Oh, we know about you and Perce," Nico replied.

I made a small noise. "Does everyone know?"

"No, only the gang. We found out... by accident," Beckendorf said nervously.

I brushed a strand of hair out of my face, noticing the way they all looked uncomfortable by mentioning it. "I hung out with him on Saturday afternoon and after he dropped me off, I didn't hear anything from him."

"This is getting weird," Nico said. "Percy doesn't just disappear without saying something. He usually tells Beck or something, but this is the first time he's just... vanished."

"I talked to his mom if that helps," I mumbled.

"What'd she say?"

"Hardly nothing. She sounded different though. I don't know how to explain it."

Beckendorf took a deep breath. "Maybe we should visit their apartment after school. All of us."

"Wouldn't that be rude?" I asked raising an eyebrow.

Nico shot me a look. "Do you want to figure out what's going on or rather be worrying? They won't mind. We've done it enough times that it's natural to them being over there."

I thought about it for a minute. They had a point. If we wanted to know what was going on, we would have to visit them or wait it out. Honestly, I didn't want to wait. I hardly wanted to wait an entier day, but we had classes to attend. I almost suggested that we ditched, but my parents would find out about it. After having an argument with myself, I nodded, agreeing with their plan. "Sure. Let's leave right after school."

**AFTER SCHOOL**

As I was walking to exit the school, Rachel latched onto my wrist and with a smile on her face, asked me why I was in a hurry. I glanced over to where the three gang members were standing, waiting for me. "Um, I have to hurry home. Melanie wants me to stop by the store and grab some items for dinner tonight."

"Oh, I was going to invite you over to hang out," Rachel frowned.

I smiled. "Thank you, but I need to get going."

"Be careful with them," she warned nodding towards Percy's friends.

"What do you mean?" I asked nervously. Did she know? If she did, who else knew?

Rachel raised an eyebrow. "They're right at the door. Don't let them get to you."

"Oh," I swallowed the lump in my throat. "Right. Don't worry. I won't. Bye."

After I passed them, the three gang members followed me out of the building. I slid inside my car as they piled into theirs, and one after the other, we pulled out of the school's parking lot and onto the road, heading in the direction of Percy's apartment.

I slammed the door behind me, locking the doors as we walked into the apartment complex. I ran up the stairs first followed by Beckendorf, Nico, and Grover. We jogged down the hallway and stopped in front of the door. I lifted my hand and after taking a deep breath, pounded my knuckles against the wood. About fifteen seconds later, the door opened and Sally stood in the doorway. Her hair was pulled into a messy bun with strands of hair becoming loose. She was dressed in her work outfit.

"Annabeth? Boys? What are you guys doing here?" Sally asked.

I was the one who spoke first. "We're worried about Percy. He hasn't been responding to any of our calls or messages and we're worried about him. What is going on with him?"

She smiled sadly. "I was going to call you all myself but-" she stopped. Sally stepped to the side and gestured for us to come inside. "Why don't you guys see for yourself? He's in his room."

I went first. I trailed through the living room and into the small hallway, stopping in the doorway of his bedroom. My breath hitched. Percy was lying on his bed with the sheets up to his waist. He was shirtless with bandages wrapped around his stomach where his ribs were located. His head rested on the pillow; his skin glistening with sweat. The side of his face was all bruised up. I brought a hand to my mouth, tears entering my eyes. I've never seen him so fragile... so vulnerable.

"Percy..." Beckendorf's voice broke. "What happened, man?"

The gang leader locked eyes with me. "The boss found out."

"What?" all three of them gasped. I didn't let go his gaze.

"He found out, and these guys came and beat me up. My ribs are badily bruised and I have a concussion, but other than that, I'm fine." Percy explained then he shook his head. "Actually, I'm not fine. He's going after somebody I love."

I wiped the few tears that appeared off my face.

"Annabeth..." he whispered. I instantly walked over to him and knelt down by his bedside, lacing my fingers through his. His beautiful green orbs met mine. "He knows about you. He says he's not going to hurt you, but... I don't trust him. Annabeth, you're in danger."

"What should I do?" I asked knowing that he would know the answer.

Percy just stared at me. By the look in his eyes, I figured out the answer.

"No. No," I said firmly. "No, I'm not losing you again."

"Annabeth," he muttered.

I shook my head, closing my eyes as some tears streamed down my face. "No! I just got you back and you can't- can't do this to me again. I'm not leaving y-you."

Percy sighed, not looking at me. "You don't know how hard this is for me."

"Then don't do it!" I found myself yelling at him. I pushed myself off my knees and onto my feet. I noticed that the other gang members were not standing in the doorway anymore. They must have left after we started talking. "Please don't do something drastic again! You saw what happened between us the first time. Please, Seaweed Brain, don't do this."

"Annabeth," he said. "Come here."

"No. You're suggesting that I leave you-"

"Come here," Percy whispered gently. His green orbs locked with mine.

I didn't deny him this time. I walked over to his bed and got underneath the covers, burying my head into the crook of his neck. His left hand grabbed my right that was resting on his chest and held it tightly. A few tears escaped and dropped onto his skin. "I'm sorry," I heard him whisper after a moment of silence. "I shouldn't have suggested that. I really am sorry."

"I forgive you," I mumbled sniffling.

He let a small groan slip through his lips. "Promise me something, though?"

"Anything."

"Don't go anywhere without me. It's not safe," Percy ordered. "He may even know where you live."

I switched positions. I sat up but turned so that I was facing him. Our hands stayed intertwined. "I can't stay away from home, unless I tell them what's going on."

"You may have to," he said.

I raised my eyebrows. "Are you kidding?"

"Do I look like I'm kidding?" Percy retorted.

I sighed, running my fingers through my hair. "What do I tell them? Hey, I'm dating a gang leader and not just any gang leader, Perseus Jackson. Yes, the one you hate, and now his boss is sending guys after me!"

He glared at me. "This isn't a joking matter. You have no idea what's he capable of."

I realized that I took a step out of line. I was mostly worried about Percy that I barely grasped the fact that I was in danger.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said it like that," I apologized.

"It's fine," he squeezed my hand to assure me. "Just don't look at this like it's something small. I have the same attitude as the boss. We're both headstrong people, and I know exactly how he's going to handle this situation. He'll do whatever it takes to get the job done. Even if it means killing you."

My eyes widened. "K-kill me?"

Percy's eyes told me he hated talking about this. "He may, Annabeth."

"Oh gosh." My voice cracked and I dropped my head to my hands. I felt tears emerging, and I swallowed the lump in my throat to contain them.

Percy stroked my knee and I looked up, meeting his sea green eyes. He pushed himself to sit up and I could tell it hurt his ribs. I gestured for him to lay back down but he shook his head. Percy held a hand on the back of my head and I leaned forward, resting my forehead on his. I closed my eyes and breathed out deeply. His fingers ran through my hair.

"I'm sorry I got you into this," Percy muttered.

I shook my head. "It's not your fault."

"Yes, it is-"

"No, it's not," I opened my eyes to stare into his. "You had no idea that the boss would find out. If he ever did, you didn't know it would be this quick."

"Santiago told him," he said. "He's the reason the gang found out too. He made some comments that made me act... defensive."

"What'd he say?" I asked wanting to know.

He sighed. "He just said some rude comments about you."

"Percy..."

"Trust me, you don't want to know."

I raised an eyebrow. "That bad?"

"He just mentioned some things about the boss and what he might do to you if he found out about us, which at the time, the boss already knew but Santiago was just trying to get to me," Percy explained a little futher.

I pressed a hand against the white bandages on his stomach. "How bad is it?"

"Bruised ribs," Percy said. "Face kind of scratched up."

I ran a hand through his black locks. "I still think you look handsome."

He smiled. "Thanks, Wise Girl."

"Can I ask you to do something?" I asked.

He nodded slowly. "What?"

"Kiss me," I mumbled.

Percy leaned in closer and our lips collided. He slightly winced but didn't pull away. I knotted my fingers in his hair, kissing him again. Each time we would kiss, butterflies would enter my stomach and erupt like a volcano. After we pulled apart, our foreheads rested against each other's and our hands were intertwined, and that's all that mattered. He was still here.

"Hey Perce-" Nico's voice came thundering into my thoughts. I glanced over to where he was standing in the doorway with the other two gang members. "Oh, are we interrupting?"

"No," said Percy. He gestured for them to come in. His friends piled in and sat on the floor as the gang leader relaxed into his pillows. I sat on the bed, keeping his hand in mine. "What's up?"

"I hate to break up the nice atmosphere in the room, but what are we going to do about the supplies?" Beckendorf asked. "I mean, we need those materials by this week. The boss will be here by Friday."

I stiffened. "What?"

"He comes a few times a year to check out the gang. He wants to make sure the gang leader is keeping them in shape and doing what they're supposed to do," Percy informed me. His thumb stroked my knuckles. "We may be short on this run, boys."

Grover sighed. "He's gonna flip."

"He's not taking it out on my gang. He can flip all he want on me, but if he hurts any of you," Percy emphasized on 'you'. "He has to deal with me. Bosses aren't allowed to touch any gang member without the gang leader's permission."

"Boss may not care," Nico inputed his thoughts. "I mean, look what he's already done to you."

I took a deep breath. "What kind of supplies are you in need of?"

"Um, we're not supposed-"

"You can trust me," I assured them. "I promise."

Beckendorf explained what exactly what they did. They collected the supplies the boss needed for training the recruits. It seemed like a hard task. I mean, you're taking a chance of being arrested just to follow orders. Yes, a gang disobeys laws, but doing supply runs, I wouldn't know if could break into stores to get materials and take a chance of being caught. Honestly, these guys have a lot of courage to do these jobs. They were dangerous.

"I remember you mentioning these jobs," I said to Percy. He nodded, reaching over and grabbing the cup of water by his bed. "I have one question though. What could happen if you don't turn them in on time?"

"We could get in trouble," Nico answered. "Mostly the gang leader because he's supposed to give orders to the gang members and if we don't finish any task the boss gives us, the gang could get in trouble. It's serious business. The boss doesn't like his orders being ignored."

"I could have told you that a long time ago," Percy commented.

"Wait a minute," I said. All four of them glanced at me. "Isn't Friday the beginning of Winter Break?"

"Yeah," they said in sync.

Nico raised an eyebrow. "What's that got to do with anything?"

An idea formed in my head. "What if you weren't here?"

"What are you thinking, Wise Girl?" Percy asked interested.

"I have an idea," I said smiling as I thought of my plan.

Beckendorf got impatient. "Well, what is it?"

"We're out of school for three weeks," I began. All four boys nodded, listening. "So we won't have to worry about missing school and people asking questions."

"What are you getting at?" Nico asked.

I held up my hand. "Calm your breeches. I'm getting to that part." Percy grinned at me. "What time does the boss normally visit?"

"Late in the evening," Percy confirmed.

I put that in my thoughts. "What if we all left right after school lets out? We get out of school early and that'll give us plenty of time to get out of the state before the boss even gets in Manhattan."

"Wait, we?" Grover said.

I nodded. "All of us."

"Um, are you-" Nico started but the gang leader cut him off.

Percy glared at him. "I'm not leaving her here. He'll find out where she lives and come after her. I won't be here to protect her."

The three boys nodded in agreement. "Continue, Annabeth," Beckendorf ordered.

"We leave New York right after school gets out. By the time the boss shows up, we'll be long gone. My parents own this home in North Carolina. It'll be far away from New York and the boss won't even know where it's located. It's in a secured area and hidden that no one could find except by accident."

"Where'd your parents find this house?" Nico asked.

I smiled, remembering the small brown house. "It was my grandparents. They gave it to my parents for a wedding gift. Anyways, it will be perfect for us. People will think we're on vacation."

"What about our parents?" Grover queried.

I shrugged. "Tell them you're going on a trip with friends... which you are, so you don't have to lie to them. Your just not telling them you're in hiding."

"Will the entire gang be going?" Nico said.

I shook my head. "The house doesn't carry that many people."

"It'll just be us five," Percy said answering the question. "The boss will go after the main people of the gang. The leader's second-in-command and his back-up's. He won't touch the others unless he wants information. He won't get any because none of the members will know about this."

His three friends nodded. I turned to look at each and every one of them. "So guys, do you want to do this?" I asked making sure I had their answers before mentioning anything else.

"I like it," Percy inputed his thoughts. "It's smart and the boss won't have any idea where we'll be. We can be safe for a little while. I mean, we'll have to go back after Winter Break, but we'll get away from everything for three weeks."

"I agree with Perce," Beckendorf said grinning.

I smiled, biting my lip. "Grover? Nico?"

Nico nodded. "I think it'll be good. Get out of New York for a while."

"One question: will there be food?" Grover asked.

I laughed. "Yes. The fridge is always stocked with plenty of food."

"Then I'm in," Grover chuckled.

I decided to voice in the only problem we had. "There's one downfall in this plan," I said.

Percy asked the daring question. "What is it?"

I took a deep breath and said the words. "I have to get my parent's permission."

**UH-OH! **

**How do you think she's going to get their permission or will Annabeth have the courage to ask her parents to use the house? **

**Did you like the Percabeth moments in the chapter? I had to add some from the sad ending in the last chapter :(**

**I have a very important question to ask:**

**Would you guys like a sequel to this story?**

**-HunterofArtemis32**


	21. Chapter 21

**HEY ALL!**

**800 REVIEWS! THANK YOU SO MUCH! :D**

**Many of you liked the last chapter with the Percabeth and the plan of getting them to safety. The question is... will Annabeth ask her parent's permission? Let's see if you find out!**

**ENJOY!**

**ANNABETH'S POV:**

Wednesday afternoon, Percy had strolled over to me, carefully due to his bruised ribs and leaned against the locker next to mine. He was looking better than he did Monday, but I could tell it hurt to walk so much during the day.

"Have you talked to your parents yet?" he asked.

I shook my head, putting textbooks in my locker. "No, I haven't had the time."

"Annabeth, we need to know," Percy said. "By tomorrow night, the latest."

I looked over at him. "I know, Perce. I've been trying to figure out when to bring it up but they're always so busy that I can barely talk to either of them."

He sighed. "Well, I just want you to know that all of our parents granted us permission to go on the trip... if you get authorization to use the house."

"Wow, you used a big word," I joked. "I'm in shock."

He rolled his eyes. "Oh, shut up."

I smirked and put one last item into my locker. "What'd you tell Sally?" I asked shutting it.

There was soft chattering close to us and Percy glanced at the students not-so-secretly watching us and they quickly turned around. "The truth."

I raised an eyebrow.

He chuckled. "I told her that I was going out of town with some friends and won't be back until the weekend before school starts back up. At first, she didn't like it but I told her I would be safe and there will be no parties or drinking."

"Does she know I'll be going?"

"Yes," Percy answered.

"What'd she think about that?"

He shrugged. "She didn't think it was a huge deal. I mean, she knows we've been alone before and she knows that I won't have sex again-"

"Again?" I asked. Percy cursed underneath his breath. I could see in his expression that he didn't mean to say that. "Wait, you've had-"

"Once," he confirmed. "It was only once and it was a big mistake. I promise."

I bit my lip, not meeting his eyes. "Oh."

"Annabeth," Percy said softly. "It was a long time ago."

"Who?"

He looked uncomfortable. "One of my old girlfriends. It's a long story."

"Was it serious?" I asked wanting to know.

"I guess you can say it was."

I looked down at my shoes. "Was she pretty?"

"Annabeth, I'll explain all of it to you one day, but not today," Percy whispered propping my chin up with his finger. His beautiful green orbs locked with mine and I felt defeated. "I promise I'll tell you everything. One day."

I nodded, leaving the subject alone. I pushed him in the chest. "I'm holding that to you."

"I thought you would," he grinned.

He noticed that the same students from earlier were staring at us and he glared at them, sending off the look 'keep your noses in your own business'. They all jumped at the gang leader's stare and quickly turned around. I smirked and Percy just smiled. His eyes flickered to something behind me and I turned my head to see Katie standing close to the lockers.

"Hmm?" I muttered.

"Are you ever going to talk to her again?"

I shrugged, glancing over at her for a second time. Katie shot me a look and walked off. I shook my head. "Nope. Apparently, we're not on speaking terms yet."

"You're gonna forgive her," Percy said.

I looked back at him, raising an eyebrow. "You sound certain."

"You forgave me. If you can forgive me for what I did to you, you can forgive her," Percy explained.

"I already did. The tricky part is trying to speak to her again," I said.

He gave a small smile. "You'll figure it out."

"Hopefully," I mumbled

He smirked, grabbing the strap of his backpack and throwing it over his shoulder. "Well, I'll see you later, Chase."

"Bye, Jackson," I said leaning against my locker.

Percy grinned. He turned around and walked towards the direction of the doors. I watched him until he disappeared from my sight. I opened locker once again and grabbed my notebook from history class. I knew I had to ask my parent's permission, but I didn't know if I could. I felt weak against my parents. They had authority over me and I didn't. They made me feel like I had no say in what I did or what I chose to do with my life. I felt powerless.

A hand appeared on my arm and I looked over to see Rachel standing beside me with her red hair pulled into a braid. I tugged on the end of it. "That's pretty."

"Thank you," Rachel smiled. "Where have you been?"

"What do you mean?" I asked raising an eyebrow.

"I tried calling and texting you the past few days but there's been no answer," she explained. "What have you been doing?"

"Nothing really. Working on projects and college applications," I said.

Rachel nodded. "I saw you talking to our favorite person."

I laughed. "Yeah. He was asking a few questions about the homework in math."

"No insults?"

"None at all."

She gasped. "That's a first."

"My thoughts exactly," I smiled.

Rachel then grabbed onto my arm and yanked me off the lockers. "Have you talked to Katie lately?"

"I haven't spoken to her since that day," I told her.

"That was almost a month ago."

"I know."

"Well, I was going to invite you for a sleepover this weekend to mark the beginning of Winter Break. No teachers, no Percy Jackson, no drama-"

"I can't. I already have plans," I said.

Rachel stopped abruptly. "We've always hung out the first weekend of Winter Break."

"I'll be out of town. I'm leaving Friday."

She frowned. "Oh okay. I hope you have fun." And with that, Rachel walked off. I knew she was mad at me for blowing off this weekend, but when your life is in danger, you can't put that on hold.

"I'm sorry," I muttered knowing she wouldn't hear me.

If I didn't have to already, I _had_ to ask my parent's permission now.

**AT HOME**

I walked into my home, shutting the door behind and throwing down my backpack on the couch, racing into the kitchen. "Dad? Melanie?" I asked.

"Your father is at the office, Annabeth," Melanie answered from the counter. She was cutting up vegetables for tonight's dinner, I'm guessing.

"Okay," I mumbled. "Melanie?"

She glanced up at me. "Yes?"

"Um, about the other night with Malcolm, I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Percy coming over-"

"It's okay, Annabeth."

"I know, but I should have asked if it was okay. He just showed up and we needed to work on the project so I let him in. I just wanted to say I'm sorry that I allowed him in."

Melanie smiled. "Well, thank you. I appreciate it."

I smiled back. "What are you making?"

"Teriyaki chicken with baked potatoes and a mixture of vegetables," she answered.

"Do you want any help?" I asked.

Melanie pursed her lips. "Nah. I've got one last carrot to chop and after that, put the chicken in the oven and let it cook. Thank you for asking though."

"You're welcome," I replied.

I was surprised we were actually getting along. Normally we would be fighting with each other or wouldn't speak to one another. Every time we would talk, it would either be about babysitting my brothers or why my grades weren't as high as Malcolm's or Percy Jackson. It was nice to know that we could have moments where we weren't at each other's throats. I contemplated whether or not that I should bring up the topic now or push it off until dinner. Maybe I should bring it to her attention first. I put my arms on the counter and rested my chin on my wrist.

"Do you mind if I ask you something?" I found myself saying.

Melanie nodded. "Go ahead."

"It's kind of important and I know it's last minute but-"

"Go ahead and ask," Melanie cut me off with a smile.

"Could some friends and I use the home in North Carolina for Winter Break?" I asked. "We were trying to find a place to go away from a few weeks and I thought that maybe we could use the house. I just told them I needed your permission."

She thought about it for a minute. "Let me talk to your dad about it first."

I nodded. "All right."

When my father came home that night, my parents disappeared for a few minutes and I figured that it was about what I asked. I typed away on my computer, finishing my English essay when my door opened and my parents trailed in. I shut down my Word Document and turned around in my chair, meeting their stares.

My father tapped his fingers on his arm. "Your mother spoke to me about you wanting to use the house in North Carolina for Winter Break."

"Mm-hmm," I muttered.

"She also said that you apologized for not telling us about that boy coming to our house without us knowing-" Melanie shot him a look and he stopped talking. I stifled a laugh as I realized that's the same look I would give Percy.

Melanie rolled her eyes. "Oh, for goodness sake's! Annabeth, we give you permission to use the house for Winter Break."

I gasped. "Really?"

She nodded. "You're turning eighteen in a few weeks, Annabeth, and you've shown that you're responsible throughout the past couple of months. I think you deserve a few weeks away from the drama and all," Melanie explained further. "Your father and I were actually thinking about letting you borrow the house for a few days during Winter Break to get away from everything."

"Thank you!" I shouted. That went a lot easier than I thought.

"How many people are going?" my father asked.

"Five, including myself," I answered.

He raised an eyebrow. "Any of them being boys?"

All of them. "There are a few, but they are very nice and won't try anything."

"Hmm... I don't know if boys are going-"

Melanie cut him off. "Frederick, Annabeth's responsible. This is why we're allowing her to go."

"Oh all right," he muttered.

I jumped out of my seat and hugged them both. "Thank you! You have no idea how happy this makes me!" They have absolutely no idea.

"You can go as long as you promise to call us every now and then to let us know how everything's going," my father commented.

I nodded. "I will. Thank you so much!"

After they said goodnight and left my room, I made sure they weren't coming back in before grabbing my phone. I typed in all the boy's contacts and said only two words.

Mission accomplished.

**THE NEXT DAY**

All five of us sat in Percy's living room, making plans on where to meet and what vehicles we were going to take. I suggested I could take my car but Nico said that might rise suspicion. The boss might realize that if my car was gone with Percy and Beck's cars missing also, it could lead to ideas. We decided on just taking Percy and Beck's vehicles. I would ride with my boyfriend with Grover and Nico riding with Beckendorf.

"I don't want to listen to all the lovey-dovey crap on the way there," Nico protested. "I'm already going to be puking enough during the next three weeks. I don't need to ride with them."

I laughed. "We're not that kind of couple."

"Or are we?" Percy wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

I punched him in the shoulder and he grinned, indicating that he was joking. I looked at the list in my hands. "There's enough food in there to last us for a while so that's good."

"How do you know the fridge is fully stocked?" Grover asked.

"We have workers that take care of the place. We sometimes rent it out during the holidays to our family members or friends that need a vacation so we have people cleaning and everything. I can tell them we're going to need tons of food," I said smiling.

Nico nodded. "Especially with enchilada boy over here."

Grover frowned. "Hey!"

"Next is..." Percy looked over my shoulder to see the list. "Room assignments."

"There are three bedrooms. One master suite and regular bedrooms," I said looking at all the boys sitting in front of me.

Beckendorf shrugged. "Perce and I can share a room while Grover and Nico share a room and Annabeth can have the master suite."

"Why does she have a room to herself?" Nico asked.

"Because she's the only girl," Percy answered and grabbed the list out of my hands. He scanned the notes I made and handed it back to me. "What about money?"

"Taken care of," I said. "My parents gave me enough money for gas and other supplies."

Percy shook his head, laughing. "I still can't believe they granted you permission."

"I would have begged them if they didn't," I replied. "Or at least pulled the 'I need to get out of here now' card and they would have handed me the keys. Either way, I would have gotten them to agree."

Beckendorf chuckled. "Did I ever tell you your girlfriend is amazing, Perce?"

"You can mention it more," Percy grinned.

I rolled my eyes. "C'mon boys." I looked at Beck and Grover. "How does your girlfriend's feel about this plan?"

Beck shrugged. "Silena doesn't mind. She rather me be gone for a little while than for forever."

Grover nodded. "Juniper too."

"Well that's good," I sighed. "I won't get attacked by jealous girlfriend's."

The guys laughed. I realized that they weren't that bad. They've just had hard things to deal with in life and didn't know how to handle it. I glanced over at Percy and his sea green orbs met mine. He smirked. I didn't know how long we were staring at each other, but it didn't matter to me. All that mattered was that he was still here and we were going to a safe-house for a while.

"One more thing," Beckendorf said. "Where are we going to meet?"

Grover took a sip of his drink. "I don't have a clue."

"Wal-Mart," I answered. The boys seemed confused. I explained in more detail. "It'll be local and if someone comes near us, somebody will notice. Yes, we're taking a chance of somebody from school seeing us, but would you rather deal with students or the boss?" The boys nodded, understanding my reasoning.

"Let's meet up at Wal-Mart around twelve o'clock," Percy ordered. "It gives us enough time to get all our stuff and pack it up in the trucks. Everyone okay with that?"

Around five o'clock, all the plans were organized. We were ready to leave.

**FRIDAY MORNING AFTER SCHOOL ENDED**

Rachel walked over to me as I shut my locker and hooked the lock onto it. She shot me a smile and held out her arms. I laughed and stepped into them, wrapping my arms around her. "Does this mean you forgive me for not being able to sleep over?"

"I was never mad," she said. "I'll admit, I was a little upset but I got over it."

"Good because I don't want my best friend mad at me," I admitted pulling away.

Rachel waved it off. "I'm not mad. I can never stay mad at you."

I smiled. "I'll see you in the new year."

Rachel bent down and grabbed her backpack. "Have fun!" And with that, she walked off, placing a New Year's hat on her head.

I laughed as she disappeared from my sight. She was absolutely crazy, but I loved her anyways. I turned around and jumped to see Percy standing in front of me. My happy mood went into a fake annoyed mood. "What do you want, Jackson?" I asked putting on an act.

He smirked. "Oh, come on, Chase. I know you're going to miss me."

"Sure will," I said sarcastically. "I'm going to miss you so much that I'm going to be bawling on my bed, holding tissues to my eyes because I don't get to see your ugly face for three weeks."

"Oh, you're gonna miss me," Percy grinned.

I scoffed. "Mm-hmm, sure."

"I'm not afraid to admit it. I'm gonna miss you."

"Uh-huh," I muttered.

"Just admit it, babe."

I shoved him. "You're ruining my good mood."

"Aww, want me to cheer you up?" he asked.

"No, thank you," I hissed pushing past him to walk towards the doors.

I smirked to myself. I wasn't really going to miss him, considering that I was going to be with him for the next three weeks.

The parking lot was almost cleared by eleven thirty. I walked towards the truck, sitting in the back of the school where the lot was located. I made sure that no one was watching before I jumped into the black truck that belonged to the gang leader and shut the door behind me. Percy's hood was over his head so that no one could make out of his face. We didn't have to worry about anyone identifying the truck. Many of the guys had black trucks. After buckling my seat belt, Percy revved the engine and after checking the streets, he pulled out of the school parking lot and onto the road.

I climbed out of the truck to get my stuff from my house. Percy waited on the outside of the neighborhood so he would go unnoticed. I walked into my home, trailing up the steps and into my bedroom, grabbing my large suitcase and backpack from the ground. I went back downstairs and left a note for my parents. I took my suitcase by the handle and after locking the door behind me, I pulled it across the sidewalk towards the entrance to the neighborhood.

When we got to Wal-Mart, I sat in the truck, watching the boys pack up all of our suitcases in the beds of the trucks. I tied my hair up in a messy bun and slid my arms into the sleeves of Percy's hoodie. It was a sunny day, but the cold weather was starting to kick in. The sound of the truck's back being shut entered my ears. Beckendorf climbed into his vehicle as Percy slid in beside me. I looked over at him and met his beautiful green eyes.

"Are you nervous?" he asked.

I shook my head. "No. I'm ready to get out of here for three weeks."

"Glad I'm not the only one," Percy winked then leaned in and kissed my forehead.

I frowned. "You missed."

He gave me a lingering kiss. "You're starting to sound like me," he chuckled.

I shrugged. "As long as my voice doesn't change, I'm okay with it."

"You'll be pretty hot with a deep voice like mine," Percy smirked.

I rolled my eyes. Beckendorf flickered his lights. That was the signal when they were ready to go. My gang leader glanced over at me and laced his fingers with mine. "Are you ready?" Percy asked as he started the engine.

I took a deep breath before nodding. "I'm ready." And with that, Percy pulled out of the Wal-Mart parking lot and we started our journey to North Carolina.

**SOMETIME LATER**

The radio was playing in the background as Percy and I finished eating. It was about six o'clock and we were a good distance away from New York. I tried to get Percy to allow me to drive, but he felt much safer if he drove his- his words, not mine- 'junk-yard'. We stopped about twenty minutes ago to eat and decided to take it on the go. All of us wanted to get to safety.

"Was your food good?" Percy asked sparking a conversation.

I nodded, taking a sip of soda. "It was fine. Thanks for paying."

"I'm the dude. I'm supposed to pay for the girl's food."

I laughed. "I know, but I still feel obligated to say thank you."

"Then you're welcome," Percy glanced over at me with a grin on his face. I returned the gesture and changed the channel on the radio.

A thought came to mind. "Hey Perce?"

"Mm-hmm?"

"Do you mind if I ask you a question?"

He smirked. "You have."

"Sarcasm is my thing," I teased. He chuckled and brought my hand that he was holding to his lips, kissing my knuckles before releasing my hand and setting it on the steering wheel. "Percy, I'm serious."

"Go ahead."

I tried to find the words. "Who was she?"

"Who?" He was so oblivious.

I sighed. "The girl you slept with."

Percy stiffened and I noticed his hands gripped the steering wheel tighter. He took a deep breath before responding. "Do we have to talk about this now?"

"Please," I begged. "It's been on my mind since you've mentioned it."

"I didn't mean for it to slip out."

"Percy, I really want to know," I told him. He glanced over at me and his green eyes locked with mine for a few seconds. "I just want to know who she was."

"Why?" he asked.

I bit my lip, looking down at my hands that rested in my lap. "Wouldn't you want to know who the person was if I've slept with somebody?"

Percy sighed. I could see in his expression that he was considering telling me. He turned into the next lane and drove forward. He released his tight hold on the steering wheel and relaxed. "What do you want to know?"

"Everything," I answered honestly.

He stared at the road in front of us. "I met her the summer after freshman year ended," I glanced over at him. "My friends dragged me to a bonfire for the Fourth of July and one of the older guys I hung out with introduced me to her. Her name was Calypso, but everyone called her Callie. At first, it was kind of awkward, considering that all our friends were chatting and leaving us alone. Normally I would be talking to her already, but my friends practically threw me on her so it started out awkward. When the fireworks went off, she mentioned that her favorite color was green and it started a conversation. We ended up talking for hours.

"About a month later, I asked her out. She accepted. We dated for a few weeks before the boss found out about her. He didn't get onto me since I was still new to the gang. I was still learning all the rules of the gang. He told me to break up with her, and I didn't.

"We continued secretly dating for about two more months. We had a few problems, but we got through them. The main reason we broke up was because her parents wanted to move to Texas for her dad's promotion. Callie, I guess you can say, rebelled against her parents. She became somebody I didn't like. I brought it to her attention and she promised that she would stop doing what she was doing. I made a mistake. I believed her.

"About a week later, I found out that she didn't stop. We had a huge fight and I broke up with her. Callie then broke out of her rebellious stage, but I didn't take her back. Her parents moved to Texas and she went along with them. She left me a note, explaining why she left. She said I was the reason. She blamed everything that happened between us on me..."

I let out a deep breath that I didn't realize I was holding. "Wow..."

"I told you it was a long story," Percy whispered.

I squeezed his hand. "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"It just seems like the only thing I can say," I admitted.

He shrugged. "It's fine. It was a long time ago. I much rather have this beautiful blonde genius instead of having her." At the end of his sentence, Percy glanced over at me and grinned before returning his attention back onto the road.

I smiled, biting my lip. "You're earning some major points, boy."

"Good to know."

I leaned over and rested my head on his shoulder, snuggling into his side. "Wake me if you need directions."

"I will, babe. Now get some rest," Percy said softly.

I yawned. "Mm-kay. I love you."

"I love you too." I felt something press against my hair- his lips- and I heard him whisper, "Don't drool on me."

I punched him in the side. "Shut up, Seaweed Brain. We both know that you're the one who drools."

**AWWW :D**

**Well, I think that will make up for the past few endings. And now you know story behind Callie and Percy. I've been sneaking peeks about them in the past few chapters and I thought Annabeth should bring it up before they get to their nice 'resort'. **

**WHO'S GOING TO SEE BREAKING DAWN PART 2? **

**I'm going to see it tomorrow afternoon and I can't believe it's ending. I remember how it felt when Harry Potter ended. It was sad, but they ended it perfectly. I'm so excited.**

**All right, back to the story.**

**The next chapter, they'll be in North Carolina :) **

**Keep on reading fans! **

**I still have tricks up my sleeves ;)**

**-HunterofArtemis32**


	22. Chapter 22

**Hello wonderful fans! **

**Sorry about not updating. I went to Tennessee with a couple friends of mine and was out of town for a few days. I saw two movies throughout the past two weeks. I had Thanksgiving dinner with my family. By the way, how was everyone's Thanksgiving? :) **

**The ending of the last chapter was sweet and the past few ending's have been either cliffhangers or... cliffhangers. I wanted to end it on a happy note. **

**ENJOY!**

**PERCY'S POV:**

"Annabeth," I muttered in my girlfriend's ear.

"Wha'?" she moaned, burying her face into my shoulder.

I chuckled. "Come on, Wise Girl. Stop drooling."

"Shut up, Jackson," Annabeth threatened.

I went to drastic measures: I stuck my finger in her ear.

She smacked my hand away. "Don't do that."

"Then get up," I said.

Annabeth groaned softly but sat up, opening her eyes. "Are we there yet?"

"Mm-hmm," I muttered. I could tell she was about to ask what time it was, but I beat her to it. "It's one in the morning."

She yawned, nodding. "Carry me?"

I laughed, opening the door and climbing out of the truck. I held out my hands, gesturing that she can come out. Annabeth smiled and wrapped her arms around my neck as I picked her up bridal-style. She gave a small laugh as I carried her towards the house. North Carolina was beautiful, with all the mountains and all the trees. You never see this in New York. It was always busy with cars and bright lights would blind you. Annabeth was right when she said the house was hidden. It was good thing I had directions or I would have gotten lost.

Beckendorf's truck pulled in next to mine. The guys got out of the vehicle. All of them looked tired, even though I could tell that Nico had slept. His hair was everywhere and his shirt was wrinkled. Grover rubbed his eyes with sleep. Beck locked the truck behind him as we walked to the front door. I asked Annabeth for the keys and she dug her hand into her pocket, returning with a pair of keys. I handed them to Beckendorf and he unlocked the deadbolt.

I carried her into the living room, sitting her down on the couch and I watched as she snuggled into the small pillow. She looked cute when she was tired. The guys and I walked out of the house, getting everything out of the beds of the trucks. It took about ten minutes due to our tired muscles, my hurt ribs, and it was dark outside so we tripped a few times over rocks or the air (cough-Grover-cough). By one thirty, everything was inside the house.

I knelt down by the couch and stroked some hair out of Annabeth's face. The guys said goodnight and trailed off to find their rooms. "Wise Girl..."

"Hmm?" she asked opening her eyes.

"It's time for bed," I said.

Annabeth nodded, rolling off the couch and stood up. I followed her into the hallway and was about to walk into the room I was gonna share with Beckendorf, but Annabeth gripped onto my hand. "Sleep in here with me."

I met her grey eyes. "Anna..."

"Please," she pouted. I would never get that adorable sight out of my mind. That was the first I've ever seen _Annabeth Chase_ pout.

"That's not fair," I frowned.

Annabeth winked at me. "Percy, you should know that I will never play fair."

I raised an eyebrow but left it alone. She opened the master suite's door and trailed inside, leaving me standing in the doorway. I leaned against the doorframe, watching her as she slipped off her sneakers and climbed into the warm covers. She smiled at me and I sent her one in return. There was a tap on my shoulder and I turned to see Beckendorf.

"I'm taking it you're staying in here for the night?" he asked.

I nodded. "Apparently."

"Just wanted to make sure, man. Night," he waved at Annabeth and walked into the bedroom closest to the master suite.

I walked inside the room and left the door cracked before walking towards the side of the bed Annabeth didn't occupy. I slid my shoes off my feet and took off my jacket, placing it on the chair next to the bed. I opened my suitcase and grabbed a pair of pajama pants, walking into the bathroom and quickly changing into the pants.

When I returned to the bedroom, I crawled under the covers, sighing softly as I felt the mattress underneath my back. Annabeth turned to lay on her side, facing me. I relaxed my muscles and allowed myself to get comfortable under the warm sheets. She took a hold of my hand and intertwined our fingers. It was nice to know that she was safe and that she was here with me.

"Get some rest," Annabeth whispered in the darkness. I locked eyes with her and the moonlight streaming through the window- the curtains were open- reflected onto her figure. "You've been driving for almost twelve hours."

"Mm, that long?" I muttered.

She nodded, running her fingers through my hair. "Yes, that long. I'll let you sleep in and drag one of the boys with me to go to the pharmacy to get some pain killers for you."

"I will love that," I said.

She smiled. "Thought you might."

"Now let me get some sleep. I had to carry your lazy butt into the house," I teased.

Annabeth kicked me in the shin. "I was tired!"

"Excuses, excuses," I grinned.

She smacked me playfully on the cheek. "Go to sleep, Seaweed Brain."

"Sir, yes, sir," I laughed.

Annabeth sighed. "You're such a child."

"One of the reasons why you love me."

"Sadly, you were cute when you were a child," she replied.

I raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really?"

"Oh, don't let it get to your head. Many people thought you were cute."

"I didn't think my best friend thought I was cute though."

She shrugged. "Now you know."

"Mm, I'm tired."

"Then go to sleep."

I smirked. "I can't. You're talking my ear off."

"WILL BOTH OF YOU SHUT UP?" Nico yelled walking into the bedroom. He wore his black boxers and t-shirt with his hair flying in different directions. Annabeth and I glanced at each other and both of us started laughing. "SOME OF US ARE ACTUALLY TRYING TO SLEEP!"

"STOP YELLING!" Grover shouted.

"WE'RE GOING TO BED, G-MAN!" I yelled back. I pointed to Nico and gestured to the door. "Out. And stop scratching your butt. There's a lady in the room."

Nico glared at me. "Not cool, man." He then walked out of the room, leaving the door cracked just like the way I had it before he came barging in.

Annabeth looked over at me and laughed. "You're so nice to your cousin."

"I'm the best," I chuckled.

She yawned. "Well, I'm tired so I'm going to sleep."

"See you in the morning," I said grabbing an extra pillow and holding it close to my chest, burying my face into it. I closed my eyes, sighing as I started to drift to sleep.

"Are you not comfortable snuggling with me?" Annabeth asked in the silence.

I shook my head. "Not really. I just didn't know if you were."

She shot me a look. "I've slept with you before. On the roof, remember?"

"True," I agreed. Annabeth moved a bit closer to me, taking the pillow out of my hands. I frowned but she instantly replaced the pillow by snuggling into my arms. She buried her face in the crook of my neck, being careful of my injuries. "Night, Anna," I muttered into her hair.

She grabbed a handful of my shirt. "Night, Perce." And with that, I drifted to sleep to the sound of Annabeth lightly snoring and the beat of her heart against my chest.

**IN THE MORNING**

"UP AND AT 'EM BOYS!" Annabeth shouted waking me up from a peaceful slumber.

My eyes shot open and I sat up in bed, rubbing my eyes with sleep. She walked into the master bedroom, clad in navy blue sweatpants and my hoodie. "Hey, Seaweed Brain."

"Morning," I grumbled falling backwards onto the pillows.

"I made breakfast and got Beckendorf to go with me to the pharmacy store. I got you some pain killers and your favorite drink."

"Coke?" I asked.

Annabeth smiled. "Of course."

"What'd you make?"

"Pancakes, eggs, and bacon. I told you this place has everything," she answered.

I stepped out of the bed, following her into the hallway and into the kitchen. The guys sat around the island, stuffing their faces with different items of food. I chuckled and grabbed a plate for myself. Annabeth stood at the edge of the counter, sipping on a bottle of Sprite. After I helped myself to the food, I stood next to her and ate my delicious breakfast.

"Who knew you could cook?" I asked my mouth full of pancakes and syrup.

Annabeth laughed. "I'm full of surprises."

"Indeed you are," I grinned before stuffing my face with more food. No side comments. I'm a guy. Deal with my love for food.

Nico sighed. "Mm, that was good."

"I agree," Grover said.

"What are we doing today, boys?" Annabeth asked.

I shrugged. "Unpack?"

"We can do that and have a movie marathon," Beckendorf offered.

"Sounds like a plan," I said.

Annabeth nodded, walking off into the living room. I finished my breakfast and sat next to her on the couch, taking her hand hostage. I played with her fingers as the guys either collapsed in the chairs or on the floor. I laughed as Nico took a seat on Beckendorf's lap and he ended up being pushed off and face-palming the floor. He kissed the carpet.

"What do you think the boss is doing right now?" Grover asked.

I grabbed the TV remote and scrolled through the channels. "I don't know, but I do know that he's wondering where we are."

Annabeth stole the remote and changed from the cartoon channel to the History Channel. I glared at her. "That's rude."

"Why don't we just put a movie in?" Nico said from his spot on the floor.

Annabeth stood up and strolled over to the movie section. "We have plenty of movies to choose from. Any ideas?"

Our eyes widened. "NO CHICK FLICKS!" All of us shouted in sync.

She seemed surprised by our sudden outburst. "Um, I'm not really a chick flick kind of girl. I'm prefer action and adventure."

"Oh, good," Nico sighed.

Beckendorf threw his hands up. "Finally! A girl who doesn't prefer chick flicks!"

Annabeth laughed. "They're not terrible. I'm just not a big fan."

"Well, you're my favorite person in the world now," Nico grinned.

I chuckled. "Okay. Stop torturing her. Let's find a movie to watch. What do you guys have in mind?"

Beckendorf relaxed in his hair. "Something action-y."

"How about _Transformers 3_?" I offered. The guys nodded in agreement.

"Let me see if we have it," Annabeth bent down and found the DVD. "We're in luck." She put the DVD inside the DVD player and walked back over to the couch. I grabbed her by the waist and pulled her into my arms. I winced slightly but held her in place. Annabeth took the TV remote and switched it to the movie's main menu.

Close to the end of the movie, my face was buried into Annabeth's hair. The pain in my ribs had returned. I was slowly falling asleep. Annabeth must have noticed because she whispered, "Take some pain medicine and go take a nap. I know you're tired."

I sent her a small smile. "Thanks," I mumbled.

Annabeth gave me a light kiss on the lips. "You're welcome."

I stood up from the couch and ran a hand through my hair, walking into the kitchen. I opened the bottle of medicine and took a few pills with a glass of water. I heard Annabeth telling the guys that my ribs were bothering me and I was really tired. I trailed into the master suite, slipped off my shirt, and crawled underneath the warm covers. Darkness fell over me instantly.

**HOURS LATER**

I awoke to a soft movement in my hair. My eyes fluttered open and they landed on the figure that belonged to Annabeth. I took a deep breath, pinching the bridge of my nose. Her fingers ran through my hair, untangling knots. I shot her a smile and Annabeth returned it.

"What are you doing in here?" I asked.

She smirked. "I could ask you the same thing."

I chuckled softly. "I thought you wouldn't mind if I slept in here."

"I don't mind," Annabeth said.

I reached up and took a hold of her hand, lacing our fingers together. "How long was I out?"

"A while," she answered. "It's dark outside."

I rubbed my eyes with sleep and rolled over onto my stomach, carefully due to my injuries and relaxed into the mattress. I felt her crawl over me. I laughed into the pillow when she laid down next to me and draped her arm across my back. Annabeth scooted closer and rested her forehead on mine. I lifted my hand and stroked a strand of hair out of her face and tucked it behind her ear. Her stormy grey eyes locked with mine and I listened to her steady breathing in the silent room.

"The guys are asleep," Annabeth whispered. "They turned in earlier."

"Mm-hmm," I muttered brushing my lips across her forehead.

"Want to go out in the living room and watch a movie?"

"Uh-huh," I said burying my nose in her hair.

Annabeth laughed. "Come on, Jackson."

I grinned. I stepped out of bed and slipped on my discarded t-shirt, trailing out of the bedroom with her leading the way. We sneaked past the guy's rooms and made our way towards the living room. She flipped on the small table lamp on the table next to the couch and sat down. I stood, looking at her beautiful figure. Her blonde hair was pulled into a braid and was tossed over her shoulder. She wore those cute navy blue sweatpants from earlier and a black t-shirt. Annabeth met my eyes and patted the seat next to her.

"I don't bite," she teased.

I chuckled, taking a seat next to her. "How do you know I don't?"

"I guess I'll find out," Annabeth replied.

I leaned forward, resting my head on her shoulder. I breathed in her scent, closing my eyes as I relaxed. Annabeth pressed her cheek against my head. We sat here for a few minutes just breathing each other in. The room was silent minus our steady breathing. "Percy?"

"Hmm?" I muttered.

"What's going to happen after graduation?" Annabeth asked. The tone in her voice instantly made me go into that loving boyfriend mood that I've never experienced before.

I immediately sat up and held her chin in my hand so that her gaze wouldn't leave mine. "Anna... what are you talking about?"

"After graduation... we'll be going separate ways."

"Annabeth, where is this coming from?"

She took a deep breath. "Rachel and I were talking about you and she mentioned that we wouldn't have to deal with you or your gang anymore after high school is over. It got me thinking... what is going to happen after high school? What's going to happen with us? I keep thinking our relationship will end when college starts. None of the colleges I've been accepted to are even close to New York. I'm worried, Percy... that after graduation, our relationship will fade. I don't want to lose you. I feel like if I go to college far away from here, I'm gonna lose you. And I don't want that."

I stroked the side of her face with my thumb. Annabeth's eyes were cloudy with tears and some of them had escaped, leaving small streaks down her rosy cheeks. There was only a few moments that Annabeth would allow herself to be vulnerable in front of people and knowing that she was crying, this has been on her mind for a while. Seeing her like this also made me protective. "Anna, you're not gonna lose me."

"Then why do I feel like that's not true?"

I ran my thumb across her bottom lip. "Annabeth, look at me." Her grey eyes had drifted from my eyes to something behind me and her eyes flickered back to mine. "I'm not letting you go. I'm never gonna lose you again. Why would I want to let go of the best thing that's happened to me?"

Annabeth let out a gasp. The look on her face read that she was surprised, honored, and shocked at my words. I pressed my forehead against hers, closing my eyes in the process. "I love you, Annabeth, and I don't plan on letting you go."

Next thing I knew, her lips were on mine. I held her face in my hands, kissing her gently. Annabeth wrapped one of her arms around my neck with the other gripping the front of my shirt.

"Yo, Perce-" Beckendorf's voice came thundering into my ears. Annabeth and I quickly pulled apart. I turned my head to look over at Beck. His eyes were widened. "Oh, um, sorry-"

"What?" I asked.

He pointed to the hallway behind him. "I woke up to pee and I heard voices so I came out here and um-" he cleared his throat. "Uh, I'll be going."

I watched him until he disappeared from my sight before turning my attention back to Annabeth. I lifted my hand and wiped the dried tears on her face. "I hate you seeing you like this."

"I hate feeling vulnerable," she replied softly.

I kissed her on the forehead. "It's okay to break. Everyone has their breaking points."

"Some more than others," Annabeth pointed out.

I shrugged, taking her hand in mine and playing with her fingers. "What do you want to do tomorrow? Pick anything you want."

"Changing the subject, I see," she teased. "I don't know. Hiking won't be a good idea with your ribs neither will tubing-"

"Tubing? In the winter? Are you insane?"

Annabeth smirked. "I guess you rub off on me."

I glared at her. "Not cool."

"Anyways, neither one of them would be good since it's cold outside and you're injuried. I guess we can rent some movies and get more junk food. I kind of want to stay inside. It's too cold and there is not many things you can do."

"That's fine with me as long as I get to snuggle," I grinned.

Annabeth laughed. "I'll sneak in some snuggling time."

"Yay," I said reaching over and grabbing the remote off the coffee table.

"Who would have thought you would be a snuggler?"

"No one knows it because I normally don't snuggle with people. Only special people get to cuddle with me," I told her searching through the many channels on the TV.

Annabeth raised an eyebrow. "I feel honored to be on the list."

"You should be," I winked at her.

She intertwined our fingers and brought them to her mouth, kissing my knuckles. She gave a small laugh. I lifted an eyebrow. Annabeth smiled. "Who would have thought that we would be anything except enemies?"

"It's still pretty shocking," I said honestly. "I just put everything in the past behind me after the incident happened. I never thought on how it would effect other people."

"Percy," Annabeth whispered. Her grey eyes locked with mine and I gripped her hand. "That's in the past. I forgave you."

"I still feel bad for treating you like that," I told her.

She ran her fingers through my hair. "It's because you haven't forgave yourself."

I swallowed the lump in my throat. "I guess I haven't." I glanced over at the picture frame that was on the table next to the couch. It was a photo of Annabeth and her family. "Speaking of forgiveness, when are you ever gonna forgive your dad?"

Annabeth took a deep breath. "I don't know, Percy." She looked down at her hands in her lap. "Everytime I feel like I'm ready, the pain returns and I feel nothing but hatred towards him. I can't have a happy relationship with him because every moment that I'm with him, the memories come back. I see him with that woman. I see my mother leaving. I see him betraying her and betraying us. I see nothing but bad memories."

"I'm sorry," I whispered brushing soft curls out of her face and behind her ear.

She wrapped her hands around my wrists. Tears started to shed and I held her face in my hands, just comforting her. I knew that it was good for her to get this out. Maybe this trip was for healing. Not just physical healing, but emotionally. Annabeth wiped the few tears that fell and rested her forehead against mine.

"I love you, Percy. Thank you for being here," Annabeth muttered.

I smiled. "No need to thank me, and I love you too."

She leaned in and pressed a small kiss to my lips. I deepened it; my fingers holding the bottom of her chin. Her hands loosened around my wrists and slowly made their way to my neck, digging her fingers into my already knotted hair. Annabeth smiled against my lips. I pulled away, resting my forehead on hers. Her stormy grey eyes weren't filled with tears anymore; instead there was love and happiness. I twirled one of her curls with my finger.

"I'm ready to sleep," Annabeth murmured. "I'm emotionally drained."

I stood up from the couch, grabbing her hands. "C'mon, then."

She followed me into the hallway. I stopped at the room I was sharing with Beckendorf. However, Annabeth noticed that I wasn't behind her and she turned around in her doorway. "Percy?"

"What?" I asked.

She cocked her head in the direction of the master suite. "You're not sleeping in here?"

"I'm just grabbing an extra blanket," I admitted. I trailed into the room and grabbed the blanket I was supposed to be using.

I walked into the master suite, cracking the door like I did last night. Annabeth was sitting on the edge on the side she claimed as hers, staring at a picture frame in her hands. I laid the blanket onto the sheets where I slept before climbing underneath them. I watched her as she leaned over and placed the frame on the nightstand. After pulling her hair up into a messy ponytail, she sighed and dug deeper into the sheets. Her head rested on my shoulder. I leaned down and kissed her head, lingering for a second to smell the familiar scent of lemons. Darkness fell over me as I listened to Annabeth's steady breathing and the sound of crickets from outside.

**TWO WEEKS LATER**

I leaned against the wall, listening to my mother talk about how much she's missed me and that the house was weird without my sarcastic comments and my cute smile. "I've missed you too," I told her meaning every word. I really did miss my mom. Besides Annabeth, she was the only person I could count on who would be there.

"How's Annabeth?" she asked for the millionth time.

I glanced over at where my girlfriend was sprawled out on the couch, her face buried into the pillow. The guys were trying to wake her up without them cutting their heads cut off. Nico held a feather in his hand, tickling her ear. Annabeth moved her hand in a gesture that meant 'go away'. Little did they know, she was already awake. She just wanted to see how long they would go on before they admitted defeat. I chuckled softly.

"She's fine," I answered grinning.

I could practically hear her smile on the other end of the line. "That's good. Tell her I said hello and that I miss her too."

"Will do."

"You're behaving, right?"

"Yes ma'am," I rolled my eyes. "Percy no kissin' up at Annie, Mom," I said in my best kid voice.

She laughed. "I'll stop nagging." There was some silence. "How much longer will you guys be gone?"

"Um, about a week. We'll be back on Sunday before school starts back," I yawned into the speaker- adorably, may I add.

"Okay, because when you get back, I have something I need to talk to you about."

I lifted an eyebrow. "Like what?"

"I'll speak to you about it when you get back."

"Why can't you talk to me now?" I asked wondering what it could be.

She sighed. "Percy, I'll just talk-"

"Is it too important to talk over the phone?" I was getting worried and a little bit irritated. Normally my mom wouldn't hide things from me.

"Kind of," she whispered so quietly I barely heard her.

"Mom-"

"I'll talk to you when you get back. Now leave it alone, Perseus."

I stiffened at the sound of my full name. She never used it. She only used it when I was in trouble or there was something very important she had to tell me.

"I got to go. The guys are messin' with Annabeth. I'll talk to you later. Love you," I ended the phone call before she had a chance to answer. I didn't like it when my mom kept things from me.

Beckendorf must have noticed a change in my attitude. "Is everything okay, Perce?"

I nodded. "Yeah." I pointed in Annabeth's direction. "You know she's awake, right?"

The guys mouth's dropped. Nico spoke up first. "WHAT?"

Annabeth then opened her eyes and sat up. "Thanks a lot, Jackson."

"You're welcome babe," I laughed.

She shot me a glare. "I hate you."

"Hate you too," I grinned.

Grover appeared by my side and clamped a hand on my shoulder. "Did something happen with you and your mom?"

I glanced over at him and the look on his face told me that he wouldn't take a lie. I swallowed the lump in my throat and nodded. "She's hiding something from me. I don't know what, but she is."

"How did you know?" Annabeth asked.

"Her tone, and she mentioned that she had to talk to me when I get back. I just hope it's nothing bad and that could possibly damage our relationship," I explained sitting down on the couch next to Annabeth. She instantly took the hand I held out and laced our fingers together.

Beckendorf sat in the chair closest to the TV stand. "I hate to be the one to break up this moment, but we need an idea on what we're going to do when we get back to New York."

All of us turned to Annabeth and she looked confused. "What?"

"You're the mastermind," I said squeezing her knee. "Any devious plans up there in that pretty little head of yours?"

She smiled, but shook her head. I turned to look at my best friends. "I know we're probably nervous about going back. I'll be honest, I'm worried that maybe the boss figured something out and knew we went out of town. I'm also worried that he'll be there when we get back."

"Have guns loaded," Nico said looking down at his shoes.

I sighed. "We'll make it. This isn't the first time the boss has got a run late."

"But the last time he did, he tried to kill you!" Beckendorf shouted.

Annabeth turned her head in my direction. "He what?"

I looked over and met her eyes. "It was sophmore year. We got a run in late and he pointed a gun at my head, threatening to hurt anybody I cared about including my mom. I got defensive and attacked him, not caring the consequences of my actions. He lifted the gun again and I dropped to the ground, but that resulted in seriously injuring one of the members. The boss then threatened if I got any runs in late, I'll be the one that's paralyzed... or maybe even in the ground."

Her eyes widened. "You need to get those supplies."

"It's already three weeks late," I said.

She let out a deep breath. "I can tell why you guys aren't excited about going back."

The room turned silent. I knew there had to be somewhere where we could get the supplies, but that would mean that we would have to be really sneaky and not get caught by anyone. We had to put it with all the other supplies without getting seen by the boss or his recruits. I tightened my grip on Annabeth's hand. Beckendorf lifted himself out of the chair he was sitting in and we did our annual hand-shake.

"I'm going to bed," he announced.

I nodded. "See ya, man."

Grover and Nico pushed themselves from their seats. "We're following in his footsteps."

I laughed, doing our hand-shake and they disappeared from the living room. I heard their door close behind them. I glanced over at Annabeth and kissed her on her temple. "And then there were two."

Annabeth smiled. "Let's get to bed, Seaweed Brain."

_"PERCY!" Annabeth yelled._

_I watched from the ground as the boss' guard's grabbed her by the arms and held her in place as the boss himself kept kicking me in my ribs. They were making her watch. I felt fury bubbling in my veins. I wanted to hurt them for making her watch this. My eyes burned with tears. Blood spurred out of my mouth; my eyesight became blurry. The world was spinning. Annabeth squirmed, but they just tightened their hold. I saw the glint of a sharp blade pinning against her neck._

_"Annabeth... don't," I said softly._

_Her grey eyes met mine. "Please, please... STOP IT!" She screeched when they yanked me from the ground roughly and shoved me away, making me collapse against the gravel ground. I winced from the sudden burst of pain in my ribs. _

_"Please," I muttered. "Don't... make her..."_

_The boss grinned down at me with a giant bruise by his eye where I punched him. He spit blood out of his mouth. "How sweet is that. You're worried about her. Who knew that the great Percy Jackson had weak spots?"_

_I gritted my teeth and breathed out slowly, trying to ease the pain. My eyes met his cold, black ones and there was no emotion in them. I tried to speak but nothing came out. The side of my face buried into the gravel as I watched the boss walk over to Annabeth and took a hold on her himself. He grabbed the knife out of his guard's hand and held it against her cheek. He gave a small flick of his wrist and it drew blood on her cheek. Annabeth stood her ground, but I could tell she was shaking with fear. Her gaze left his and met mine. _

_I mouthed the words, "I'm sorry."_

_The boss then pushed her into the arms of the guard's again and they held onto her tightly. The boss walked back over to men and knelt down. He took the knife and grabbed a fist full of my hair and chopped it off._

_"I'll be generous and let her keep a few strands of hair," he smirked and handed it over to Annabeth who took it. She glanced back down at me._

_"I love you," I mouthed meaning every word._

_She allowed her beautiful smile to appear on her face. I knew for a fact that it would be the last beautiful thing I would ever see, and I was glad that it was her. _

_The boss snapped his fingers. I was grabbed off the ground and was forced to stand. His black eyes stared into mine as he reached inside his coat and pulled out a gun. I saw Annabeth struggling against the men who held her. _

_"NOO!" She shouted kicking furiously._

_"Shut her up," the boss ordered._

_One of the guards placed his hand over her mouth. However she was a smart girl and bit him hard. "OWW!" The guard hissed, cursing loudly. "She freaking bit me!"_

_The boss held out his hand and the guard that Annabeth bit, threw her over in his arms. I wanted to rip him apart for touching her. Her stormy grey eyes locked with mine. Green on grey. _

_For the last time._

_My ribs were on fire. My entire body ached, but I had to get these final words out. "Annabeth, I love you. I love you so much."_

_She whimpered, knowing that this was the last time she would ever see me. "I love you too, Percy. I've always loved you."_

_It took all the strength in me to show her one last grin. _

_It went in slow motion. _

_The boss held the gun up._

_I stared at Annabeth, trying to tell her with my eyes how much I love her and how much she means to me. She mouthed the words, "Look at my hand." _

_The boss put his finger on the trigger._

_I glanced down at her left hand, and I noticed the sight of the shining beauty that happened to be her engagement ring. Annabeth smiled me and mouthed, "Annabeth Jackson."_

_The boss shot._

I quickly sat up and after seeing that I was still alive and the boss wasn't here, I closed my eyes and held my head in my hands. The nightmare seemed so real. I sat there for a couple of minutes, breathing heavily. I lifted my head when I heard the shifting of sheets, and I glanced down at the beauty lying next to me. Annabeth had her face buried into her pillow. A small smile came onto my lips. She was still here. I was still here. The nightmare was just a figment of my imagination.

I let out the deep breath I was holding and laid back down, wiping the sweat off my forehead. Annabeth's cheek pressed up against my shoulder as she snuggled up into my side. Her hand moved to rest on my stomach. I took a hold of that hand, intertwining our fingers. Annabeth murmured something in her sleep, and it made her even more beautiful that she already was.

There was only one good thing that came out of that awful nightmare.

The engagement ring on her finger.

**OOOHHH, LONG CHAPTER!**

**How'd you like the ending? Did you like the Percabeth moments? What do you want to see in the last three chapters? What do you think is going to happen before the story ends?**

**A Troubled Boy with Green Eyes is... sadly, on hold for right now. I'm having writer's block for the last two chapters, but NO WORRY! It should be up before the new year.**

**OH! Before I go, I have some good news.**

**There will be a sequel to this story.**

**AHH, YES! I'M NOT JOKING! I already have a plot created but I can't share it because it will give things away. **

**Anything else... Nope, all good. I told you everything I needed to tell you. **

**-HunterofArtemis32**


	23. Chapter 23

**Hey everybody!**

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**Thank you to each and every one of you who has reviewed, favorited, followed, and just enjoyed this story. It's come a long way from the first chapter. Thank you for being incredible fans and always being there throughout everything :) I love you guys!**

**This chapter will get things moving. Some gang action kicks in and I hope you guys enjoy the chapter!**

**PERCY'S POV:**

The week went by slowly. We stayed inside, except for the occasional outings to go out to eat and get some more pain killers. We had movie marathons which consisted of action movies and one chick flick. Annabeth said that it was her favorite romance movie, and I had to suffer through the romantic kisses and what-nots. The guys ditched. What great friends they are.

My mom and I haven't spoke since that phone call. I couldn't help but think that something went wrong with her job and she was fired or that all our money that was stashed was stolen. But for some reason, any idea I came up with, I could feel that it wasn't it. It was something that had to do with her and only her. I don't know why I feel that way but I do.

The nightmare also appeared in my head from time to time. What frightened me the most was how real it seemed. I can't explain how real it felt. Another thing I couldn't get out of my mind was how Annabeth and I's relationship had progressed. The engagement ring on her finger. Honestly, it would be amazing to marry Annabeth... however, to do that I would have to leave the gang and to do that, I either had to fake my death, move away or do both. It's not as easy as you think. I would do anything for Annabeth. I just can't grasp the fact that I would be leaving my mother.

The night before we were supposed to leave, I was lying in bed with Annabeth sleeping soundly beside me. My fingers stroked through her curls as I stared up at the ceiling. Tons of images from the nightmare ran through my mind.

A chime entered my ears. I turned my head to see my phone's light disappearing. I got a text. I checked the time on the watch on the nightstand. _3:12_. Who would be texting me this late at night? I carefully removed myself from underneath the covers and picked up my phone, flipping it open. It was an unknown number. I lifted an eyebrow as I clicked 'read' and my eyes scanned the message.

_You may be the best gang leader... but I do NOT tolerate my rules being abused and ignored. I do NOT appreciate the fact that you think you're better than me, and think you can run away. Jackson, I'll give one last chance. Dump the girl, and she'll be safe. You have my word._

I looked away from the text and glanced over at Annabeth. I hit the 'reply' button and typed away.

_How can I trust you? _

I leaned against the wall, waiting impatiently.

_Have I ever done anything to betray your trust?_

I growled.

_You sent guys to beat me up. _

I stared at the scar on the top of my right hand as I waited.

_You betrayed my trust, Jackson. I can't play favorites. The rules apply to everyone, including you._

I took a minute to think of an answer.

_How will I know she'll be safe?_

_I'll make sure of it._

I shook my head, already knowing my answer. I'm not losing Annabeth. Not now, not ever.

_No._

A smile appeared on my face as the 'message sent' box went away and my wallpaper picture came into view. Annabeth sitting on a swing at the park; her beautiful smile glinting in the sunset.

_Jackson, you're making a mistake._

I smirked.

_No. I'm not._

And with that said, I sent the message and shut the phone. I chose to ignore it when the phone chimed again. I hit the silent button and climbed into the bed again, wrapping an arm around Annabeth's waist and pulling her against my chest. She mumbled but stayed asleep. I smiled and leaned down to press a kiss on her head, closing my eyes.

I would do everything in my power to keep her safe.

Even if that meant I had to die to protect her.

**THE NIGHT THEY GET BACK**

Annabeth told me to stop outside of her neighborhood and I parked by the sidewalk. She didn't want to take a risk of her parents asking questions or her father coming outside to meet the boy who was dropping her off. "You need any help getting your stuff?" I asked.

She shook her head. "No, but thank you."

"I had a great time. I guess..." I leaned closer to her face. "I should thank you for coming up with this idea." I kissed her. Annabeth smiled against my lips and deepened the kiss, gripping the front of my shirt. "Thanks for a wonderful vacation," I muttered.

She sighed. "You're welcome."

"Have fun," I whispered not wanting to let her go.

Annabeth gave me one last kiss. "I love you, Jackson."

"And I love you," I grinned.

I watched as she grabbed her suitcase from the back of my truck and rolled it behind her. She turned around and waved at me before disappearing from my sight. I sat there for an extra minute, debating on whether or not I should stay over at Beck's or going to my house. I was kind of worried about what my mom wanted to speak to me about. I shook my head, pressing down on the gas and pulling back out onto the road.

I'm going to see what my mom wants to talk about.

**AT HOME**

I entered the apartment, dragging my suitcase behind me. I shut the door behind me, locking the deadbolt and noticing the kitchen lights were shining into the living room. It was around nine o'clock. I was about to drop my stuff off in my room until I heard laughter coming from the kitchen. My mom's and a man's. A man? Either she didn't hear me come into the apartment or she was ignoring me. I raised an eyebrow as I put my luggage by the couch.

I walked into the kitchen, making sure my steps were barely audible. I knew where the creaky parts of the floor were located so it was easy. I heard my mom talking to the dude. I stepped into the doorway. My mom looked shocked to see me appear.

"Who is this?" I asked pointing at the man with salt-and-pepper colored hair. He seemed around my mother's age and

My mom stood up from her seat and walked over to me, wrapping her arms around my figure and giving me a hug. "Welcome back, sweetie."

"Who is this?" I repeated looking into her eyes. Is this what she was hiding from me?

She turned towards the man. He looked friendly, but I didn't know him well enough to see if he was good enough for my mom. "Percy, this is Paul Blofis."

"Blowfish?" I muttered.

The man- Paul- shook his head. "Blofis. Almost everyone assumes it's Blowfish, but it's okay. I'm used to it."

I made a grunt noise and looked back at my mom. "Is this what you were hiding from me?"

"Percy-" she began but I cut her off.

"You promised me you would tell me before you started dating again!" I hissed. I know it may seem like I was being selfish and unfair, but when it's just been you and your mom for four years, you get protective.

Paul stood up from his seat and grabbed his brown jacket off the back of the chair. "Maybe I should go-"

"No, Paul. It's okay," my mom said stopping him. I looked over at him and he slowly sat back down under my sharp glare. "Percy, stop!"

"Why didn't you tell me?" I asked. "Am I not important enough to know-"

"Don't you dare pull that card on me, Perseus," my mom threatened.

I threw my hands up. "Then what do you want me to say?" I glance over at Paul and I met his brown eyes across the room. I turn my head back in my mom's direction. "You promised that you would talk to me before dating again. You didn't even speak me to me about it."

"I'm old enough to make my own decisions. I don't need your permission to date again."

I nodded, stepping towards the exit of the kitchen. "Fine. Apparently, I'm not important enough to know about it."

"Percy, I'm-"

I lifted my hand and shook my head. "Don't. You've said enough."

I turned around and walked towards the apartment door. I opened it and slammed it shut behind me. I zipped up my jacket as I pounded down the stairs. I was angry and hurt. My mom and I had a close relationship. She promised me when I was sixteen that she would talk to me about dating somebody and not do it behind my back. It wasn't the fact that she was dating again- I was actually happy for her; it's been a long time since she's been happy- but it was the fact that she didn't even mention it to me.

I pushed open the door and trailed over to my truck. I slid inside the vehicle and after locking the doors, I rested my forehead against the steering wheel. I needed to go somewhere. I knew I was taking a risk going there, but I needed to talk to her. I started the engine and pulled out of the parking lot, turning in the direction towards Annabeth's house.

**ANNABETH'S POV:**

I sat on my bed, reading a novel when a chime from my phone caught my attention. I marked the page and leaned over, grabbing my phone from my desk and checking the text message. It was from Percy. _Open your window. _I raised my eyebrows. Why would he want me to open my window? I put down my phone and walked over to the window. I slid it open and a smile appeared on my face. Percy was standing on the ground with a grin on his face.

"What are you doing, Seaweed Brain?" I whisper-shouted.

He shrugged. "I came to sweep my beautiful princess away from her tower."

"Don't go all Rapunzel on me!" I laughed.

He chuckled. "Come down."

"We have school tomorrow, Percy," I said looking over at the clock. _9:43. _

"So?"

I rolled my eyes. "Jackson, my parents-"

"Annabeth, come on. Be a little rebellious."

I sighed. "Percy..."

"We'll go on a midnight Taco Bell run," Percy said.

He knew my weakness. I smiled and held my index finger, gesturing for him to hold on. "Give me a minute."

I turned around and picked up my jeans that was still in my suitcase. I changed into those and grabbed my hoodie from my bed. I slipped my phone into my front pocket to make sure it wouldn't fall out. I glanced back down at him. "How am I supposed to get down?"

"Climb down," he gestured to the tree beside my window. Good thing my bedroom was in the back of the house.

"Ironic, isn't it?" I smirked.

Percy laughed. "Indeed. Now hurry up!"

I shushed him. I climbed out of my bedroom and grabbed onto the closest branch. It didn't shake under my weight. Good thing. I put both of my hands on the branch and made sure that I had a good grip on it before swinging my legs and wrapping them around the branch, slowly moving down the branch. When Percy and I were little, we used to have rock-climbing competions or who could climb the tree faster, and I had a lot of upper body strength due to all the years of pulling myself up. I made it to the second layer of branches in no time. The ground was much closer than earlier. Percy walked over to where I sat.

"Jump down."

"Uh-uh, Seaweed Brain."

"I'll catch you."

I raised an eyebrow. "You will? What about your ribs?"

"I'll be fine. Don't worry about me," he replied.

I bit my lip. I stood up as high as I could stand on a tree. I saw Percy's eyes widen. I wanted to turn my head, but I didn't want to lose my balance. "What is it?"

"Annabeth, your overhead light just turned on!" Percy whisper-shouted. "Hurry up!"

"What?" I asked not even bothering to check. I didn't want my father finding out about Percy. I hurriedly jumped off the tree and into his awaiting arms. Percy grunted and fell backwards onto the grass. I landed on top of him.

"Maybe I should continue to pull that on you," he chuckled.

I turned my head and saw that my light was not on. Jerk. I looked back at him and Percy was grinning. I slapped him on the arm. "That was un-called for!"

"It got you to jump."

I rolled my eyes. "It was still un-called for."

"You're adorable, you know that?"

I smacked him again. "Don't try that cute stuff on me, Jackson."

Percy laughed and his eyes flickered to our position. "I like the end result though."

"You're such a boy," I said but blood rushed to my cheeks. I pushed myself off of him and sat down next to him on the grass, crossing my arms.

"Anna, I was just joking," he said.

I normally didn't like my name being shortened, but I made an exception for Malcolm and Percy. They were two of the most important people in my life. "I know," I muttered rubbing my arms.

"You're so modest."

I turn my head to look at him and raised an eyebrow. "Is that a bad thing?"

"Not at all," Percy pushed himself off the ground and his shoulder brushed mine.

"Sorry I'm not like all the girls that throw themselves at you or want to make-out all the time. I'm just not like that," I said picking at the grass.

He reached over and put his finger on the bottom of my chin, turning my head. I tried not to meet his eyes, but I failed. His sea green orbs were so beautiful. "Annabeth, I love you exactly the way you are. No girl can compare to you."

"But all the other girls you dated, they've had experience-"

"Exactly."

I was confused. "What?" I asked not understanding what he meant.

Percy took a hold on my hands. "All the girls I've dated have had experience. You, on the other hand, don't have experience. You're pure. You don't give a piece of you to tons of guys who don't deserve it. Who don't deserve you," he grinned and brushed a piece of hair behind my ear. "I'll tell you a secret. Guys act like they want the girl who has had experience, but honestly, we want the girl who waits. I mean, they're some guys who want the former, but most guys want the latter."

There was a small moment of silence. "I'll tell you another secret," Percy leaned in and put his lips against my ear. "You're extremely beautiful."

I allowed a laugh to slip through my lips. "You tell me that daily, Seaweed Brain."

"I tell you that to remind you of your beauty," he said.

I pushed him in the chest. "You're doing that cute stuff that gains you points."

"What? Points to kiss you?" Percy asked.

"No, points to being a good boyfriend."

He laughed. I ran my hand through his hair. My hand rested on the back of his neck. "Come here," I muttered smiling. Percy grinned and leaned in, kissing me softly. I gripped the collar of his jacket, bringing him closer to me. He kissed me once more before pulling apart.

"Hey, do you want to go somewhere?" Percy asked, pushing himself off the grass and holding out his hand.

I grabbed onto his hand and he pulled me up. "What'd you have in mind?"

"It's a surprise." And with that, the two of us raced towards the truck.

**AT THE SURPRISE**

"You're amazing," I said, my mouth filled with meat, sour cream, lettuce, and cheese- the main ingredients for tacos. Percy took me out for a ten o'clock Taco Bell run. We would have waited until midnight, but a certain gang leader started getting hungry.

He laughed and reached over, brushing his thumb across the corner of my mouth. I blushed when he wiped some sour cream on his napkin. "Sorry," I muttered.

"It's fine. It just reminds me on how cute you are," Percy winked and took a bite of his taco.

I threw a rolled-up napkin at him. "You're a dork."

We sat there for a few minutes, laughing at our faces, throwing napkins across the table, and stealing each other's tacos. There was one family of four sitting a few feet away from us. The two kids were watching us from behind their seats and Percy waved at them, sending them that trouble-maker smile of his that I happen to love. The daughter giggled and turned back around to finish off her taco.

"I think you have a fan," I laughed taking a sip of my Dr. Pepper.

Percy leaned back in his seat, glancing from me to the little kids. "I have plenty of fans, but my favorite of them all is this grey-eyed, blonde-haired genius who annoyingly points out facts about everything but it just makes her seem more interesting."

"Annoyingly?" I raised an eyebrow and crossed my arms. He copied my actions and stuck his tongue out at me. He's such a child.

He nodded. "But it makes you seem more interesting."

"Sure it does," I said giving him a hard time.

Percy smirked, and then changed the subject. "Were your parents happy to see you?"

I shrugged, suddenly interested in my shoes. "I wouldn't know."

"Wait, they weren't there?" he asked.

I nodded slowly. "They left me a note saying that they won't be back until late and that there was leftover meals in the fridge if I got hungry. I heard them enter the house and I wanted to see if they would come up. They didn't even come into my room to see if I was there. My brothers came into my room and were happy to see me and asked a billion questions, but Melanie told them to get ready for bed."

Percy's eyes locked with mine across the table. "Are you okay?"

"I'm used to it," I muttered.

He frowned. "No one should be use to being ignored."

I laughed, even though nothing was funny. "Well, I am."

"Annabeth," Percy said in a serious tone. I could tell he probably used that on his gang members whenever he wanted them to listen. "I know that it hurts that they ignore you."

It took me a minute to respond. "It hurts a little bit," I whispered honestly. He sent me a sad smile. "What about you? Was your mom happy to see you?" Percy's whole expression changed. He glanced down at our food. I realized what had happened. "She talked to you, didn't she?"

"Yep," he answered.

"Do you mind if I ask what it was about?" I asked.

The color of his eyes got a bit darker since the mention of his mom. "She's dating someone."

"What? That's great!"

Percy shook his head. "Annabeth, don't get me wrong, I'm happy for her. It's been a while since she's been with somebody."

"Then what's the problem?" I was confused on why he was acting like this.

"When I was sixteen, my mom promised me that she would talk to me before she wanted to date somebody. Every time she thought she liked someone or maybe wanted to start a relationship with them, she would come and talk to me about it," Percy took a deep breath before continuing.

"The reason I'm mad is because when I got home, she was having a date with a guy. I then understood what she had to talk to me about. She was dating again. I'm happy for her, but it hurts because she didn't talk to me about it first. I mean, it may not seem like a big deal, but when it's been you and your mom for a long time..." he became silent.

I reached over and rested my hand on top of his. His sea green eyes met mine. I didn't know what to say in the situation. Percy's eyes flickered to something behind me. I began to turn my head, but he gripped my hand. I looked at him and he shook his head, following the person with his eyes. Percy then began to get up. We threw away our trash and exited the restaurant.

"What was it?" I asked when a rush of cold air bursted onto me.

His hands searched his pockets for his keys as we walked to the truck. It was close to the back of the restaurant. "It wasn't an it, it was a who. We need to get out of here."

Suddenly Percy stopped. I was about to ask him what he was doing, but a person appeared from behind his truck. The person was dressed in dark jeans and a brown leather jacket. He was tall and lean and walking straight towards the two of us. Percy grabbed onto my arm and pulled me behind him. I heard steps behind us and I turned my head to see two more guys. Percy kept a hold of me, keeping me pressed up against his back. I gripped onto his arm with my left hand and hooked my two of my right fingers into his belt-loop.

"What do you want?" Percy sneered at the dark figure that- I'm guessing- led them.

The person grinned. "Oh, Percy. I just wanted to see how special this girl must be that you had to disobey my rules."

My eyes widened. This was the boss.

He saw me peering over Percy's shoulder. "Oh my. She is a beauty."

Percy growled. "You touch her, I swear-"

"Now, now, Mr. Jackson. No need for violent words," the boss retorted. I breathed out deeply, watching the two spat back and forth. "What's your name, beauty?"

I swallowed the lump in my throat. Percy mumbled under his breath, "Answer him."

I cleared my throat to make sure my words weren't shaky. How I kept my voice steady as a rock, it was a mystery to me. "Annabeth."

"Annabeth," the boss repeated. "How unique. That's a beautiful name. It really is." He glanced over at the one of the guys that stood behind us. "Isn't it?" 

The guy nodded. The boss returned his attention back on us. "I have some unfinished business with you, Jackson. Where are the rest of my supplies?"

"We'll get them to you," Percy replied.

The boss frowned. "I'm afraid I need them now."

"The supplies we do have are at the storage unit."

"I know where they are, but not all of them are there."

I'm surprised they would do this in a public place. "We'll have them ready for you tomorrow night. We're behind on one run, but we'll be getting them tomorrow and they'll be ready."

"You're behind?" the boss asked raising an eyebrow.

"The first one in years," Percy said keeping his grip on me. I pressed my mouth into his shoulder, my eyes watching them do their gang business.

The boss glanced over at the person next to him. "Hmm. Trevor, do me a favor. Put them in the back of the van."

"No," Percy snarled. "She's not apart of this."

The boss looked at my boyfriend. "Ever since you started dating her, she's been apart of this."

Out of nowhere, something hard hit me on the back of the head. I collapsed onto the ground. The last thing I saw was Percy being knocked out and him falling to the ground next to me.

Everything turned black.

**Please, will all do respect... DO NOT KILL ME!**

**Like I said in the author's note in the beginning, this chapter will get things moving. The next chapter... well, I can't say anything or it might give things away. The last chapter will leave it off for a sequel. **

**I'll go ahead and say this because many of you will be wondering, Percy and Annabeth will not die! But that doesn't mean I won't have tricks up my sleeves...**

**Oh, Green Eyes should be updated (no promises) before the end of the month. Hopefully I can get an idea on what to do in the chapter. For some reason, I'm having writer's block even though I already know how I'm going to end it. UGHH!**

**Alrighty fans, until next time!**

**-HunterofArtemis32**


	24. Chapter 24

**Hello!**

**WOW! Almost a thousand reviews! Do you think we could get to a thousand by the next chapter which aka is the final chapter? ;)**

**Many of you wanted to come and attack me at the end of the last chapter, but this moment is going to be a big part in the story. **

**Let's get on with the story! I know y'all are dying to know what's going to happen between our favorite characters and the boss. **

**ENJOY!**

**PERCY'S POV:**

I groaned softly as I woke up. The hard knot on the back of my head told me that I had been knocked out. I looked around my surroundings and saw blonde hair sprawled out on the floor next to me. Annabeth. Taco Bell. The boss. Everything started to come back to me.

I crawled over to her and flipped her over to make sure that they didn't do anything to her. The boss can be awful sometimes. Annabeth mumbled in her sleep, and I let out a deep breath I didn't realize I was holding.

We were in the back of a large, black van with the boss taking us somewhere. I tried to find anything that could be used against the boss and his guards, but they seemed to have gotten rid of everything they thought I could use as a weapon. Smart people. I could use dental floss as a weapon. There was nothing in the back. Crap. The only thing I did find was one water bottle, but that would have to hold us off. I took a couple swigs. Suddenly, my knees gave out on me as the van drove over a large bump and I crashed onto Annabeth.

"Oof! W-what happened?" Annabeth gasped as she looked around frantically and then brought a hand to her head, groaning. "Ow, my head."

"Yeah, don't sit up so fast or you'll get a pounding headache," I said passing her the water bottle. She grabbed it and took a few sips, sighing afterwards. "What do you remember?"

"All I remember is the boss calling someone to put us in the back of the van and you saying something like... 'she's not apart of this' and then something hit me on the back of the head and I blacked out."

I rubbed the back of my head, feeling the knot. "Yeah, it leaves a nasty bite."

"And a horrible headache," Annabeth added putting her head in between her knees. The van passed over another bump and we both groaned.

"I'm sorry for getting you into this-"

"Percy, it's not your fault."

I shook my head even before she finished her sentence, already knowing what she was going to say. "Yes, it is. If I didn't get serious with you or if I did something more to make sure you were safe or-"

Annabeth shushed me by kissing me. I responded back, my hand instantly going to her cheek and stroking her skin lovingly. She pulled back and her eyes stayed closed, like she didn't want it to end. "Don't blame yourself. You warned me in the beginning that there was a chance this would happen. I still chose to be with you. Nothing or no one is separating us again."

As she was speaking, I noticed that her hands was shaking and I knew that how much she would say she wasn't afraid, there was a small part in her that was terrified.

"Do you think we will get out of here alive, Percy?" Annabeth asked not meeting my eyes.

I shrugged, not knowing whether or not. "I honestly don't know."

She let out a shaky breath. "Oh gosh..." She brought a hand to her mouth and I could tell she was trying not to scream. This kind of sitation- a battle for life and death- could shake anyone.

I continued to look at her as the words came out. "Annabeth, listen to me. I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure you get out of this alive. I promise."

"I'll do the same for you," she replied without a moment of hesitation.

"Anna-"

"Percy, I'm not some damsel in distress. I'm not one of those girls who always need a guy to protect herself. I've protected myself for years."

"I know that, but-"

"But what?"

"You have no idea what these guys are like, Annabeth!" I hissed letting my anger break through and allowing it to control me. "They're not the football players from school, they're real men who have experience of torturing and killing!"

She rolled her eyes. "I think a kick in the groin will hurt any boy."

"Is that what you're planning to do? Kick them and run?" I asked. I then clapped my hands and yelled sarcastically, "Great idea, Annabeth! That will totally work!"

"What's your brilliant idea?" Annabeth retorted, crossing her arms. "I mean, since you've dealt with these guys before and you're SOOO brave and strong! They must tremble at the sight of you!"

I slammed my fist against the wall of the van and my knuckles instantly began to turn purple, but I was so full of anger, I barely felt the pain. "Oh, shut up, Chase! You have no idea how to handle these guys and you're too freaking full of pride to admit it!" I shouted gesturing to herself.

She threw the closest thing to her- her shoe- at me and I blocked it. She threw the other one and it hit me straight in the mouth. "You're such a jerk, Perseus Jackson!"

"Is that the best you got? What happened to the 'I-can-take-on-anybody-because-I'm-not-a-princess- Annabeth Chase'?" I yelled throwing her shoes back at her.

Annabeth tried to slap me but I caught her wrist. She continued to try to hit anything; my face, torso but I dodged her every time. Before I knew it, I was on top of her, holding her wrists above her head and her right knee was pressed against my stomach. We were both spatting threats and challenging each other's strength. Our eyes had locked in the middle of the fight, and her grey eyes were so dark, that it reminded me of the clouds right before a thunderstorm. Suddenly everything began to come back to me. The comments began to disappear as the dark emotion left our bodies and our minds started to come back. Her face started to soften as realization dawned onto both of us.

Everything that had happened today with my mom and then the boss, it had hit me all at once and it happened so quickly, I didn't even realize who I was talking to. I took it out on Annabeth. I swallowed the lump in my throat. Some of the things I said to Annabeth, I felt so bad for saying, but hopefully she would understand I was just saying them out of rage. It was nothing towards her.

I rested my forehead on hers and closed my eyes. "Annabeth, I'm sorry-"

"I'm sorry too," she apologized. I decided to open my eyes and the normal color was back in her irises. "None of what I said was true." Annabeth took a deep breath. "Percy, the pride comment-"

"I really did not mean that," I quickly said. "It was out of anger, but none of it was towards you."

She shook her head. "It's true though. I am too full of pride to admit what I can and cannot do."

"Annabeth, I-"

"I know you didn't mean it," she whispered. "Like you said, it was out of rage."

"That still doesn't give me a reason to say things hurtful to you."

She sighed. "Let's just forget about it."

"Beth-"

"Percy, please. I don't want our last moments together full of fighting-"

"It may not be our last moment," I said not wanting them to be.

The corners of her lips lifted into a small smile. "Stop interrupting me."

"Excuse me?" I raised an eyebrow. "You're the one who's interrupting me."

Annabeth laughed, her face looking beautiful as she did. "We're not supposed to be fighting."

"It's not fighting, it's called innocent bickering," I corrected with a wink. She rolled her eyes- playfully this time. I grinned at how we could go from yelling to being complete idiots who happened to be in love with each other.

"Hey, Perce?" she murmured. "When are you gonna get off me?"

I then looked at our position. I was hovering over her, my hands still wrapped around her wrists that were above her head and my knees were on either side of her. At the time, it was not a romantic gesture; it was more of... an attack gesture. I can't really remember how we ended up like this. We were just yelling and trying to dodge each other's, verbally and physically. I would never hit a girl but I was holding her wrists so she wouldn't hit me. Or better yet, wouldn't kill me at the time.

"Oh, sorry," I muttered but made no effert to get up. I did release her wrists and after cracking her fingers, she pushed against my chest. "Vicious thing, aren't you?"

Annabeth smirked. "I'll save the punches for the boss."

"I'll hold him," I grinned before leaning down and giving her a kiss.

She knotted her fingers through my hair as I pressed my mouth harder against hers. All the sadness and fear of losing each other was put into the kiss. Every emotion I have felt towards her. Her lips trembled against mine, but she continued to pull me closer until there was no room left.

I don't remember the last time I ever felt this way towards someone. Someone I knew for a fact that I couldn't live without them. I mean, I've had plenty of girlfriend's and there was Calypso, but I could live without them. Annabeth is a different story. She has always been there. Even when we hated each other, I loved picking on her. I loved being able to make her blush. I even loved it when she argued with me. I never realized it until the night we shared on the rooftop. It was like everything hit me that night. When everything happened with Tyson, I still had her in my life. No matter what relation we had, she was always there.

Annabeth pulled away from the kiss and we were both breathing heavily. I rested my forehead against hers, making an important decision. There was no one I wanted to be with besides this beautiful grey-eyed, blonde-haired smarty-pants. She knew every part of my life, the bad and the good. She chose to be with me after all the awful things I did to her. She chose to be with me even though there was a chance she could be killed.

Everything that surrounded us disappeared as I fumbled over the words in my head. There was a million ways I could do this. "Annabeth, if we get out of here..."

"Mm-hmm," she muttered nodding slowly.

I locked eyes with her. "Remind me to get the ring from my dresser drawer."

She looked confused. "What?"

"After we get out of here," I corrected my words from earlier. I was going to make sure we would get out of here alive. "Remind me."

"Perce, I'm so confused." Either she was a good actress or she really had no idea what was I trying to say. And she called me 'Seaweed Brain'.

I laughed. "You may be unbelievably smart, extremely beautiful, and a talented architect, but you are so oblivious." Annabeth lifted a blonde eyebrow. I grinned, cupping the side of her face and stroking her skin softly with my thumb. "Annabeth Chase... I want to marry you."

Annabeth gasped, bringing a hand to her mouth as the words came out. I licked my lips and two words escaped. "Marry me."

Out of nowhere, the van halted to a stop. Doors were slammed shut, and I pushed myself onto my knees, allowing Annabeth to come into a sitting position. We both stared at each other, knowing that we had to fight out way through this to make it out alive. The doors opened behind us and a hand stretched in and grabbed me by the shirt, dragging me out of the van. I struggled against them, but they kept a tight hold on me.

We were both thrown to our knees in front of the boss. He stood with his hands behind his back, facing the opposite direction. I watched as he turned on the balls of his feet, now staring at us with black eyes full of no remorse or emotion. Annabeth was breathing heavily next to me. One of the guys grabbed a fistful of my hair, yanking my head backwards. I grunted, gritting my teeth as I was forced to look at the boss. He knelt down in front of me.

"Percy, I'll be honest. You've been a great gang leader. One of the finest I've ever seen. You discipline your new recruits. You have something unique. Why do you think I even promoted you to gang leader?" The boss asked. "People listened to you. People followed you. But what are they going to think when they find out you disobeyed the rules? I allow dating because I know the boys want a taste of freedom, but there's a reason why I don't allow serious relationships."

"Why is that?" Annabeth asked. My head quickly turned in her direction. What was she doing? The boss now faced her instead of me. If he touches her-

"Well, my dear Annabeth," he said brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. I shifted uncomfortably and resisted the urge to attack him. He had no right to touch her. "Serious relationships, in the gang world, is a term we use when the boy becomes delusional and starts hanging out with the girl instead of working in the gang business. And usually what happens, the boy will leave the gang." The boss sighed dramatically. Oh, cry me a river.

"Don't you get new members regularly?" Annabeth inquired. The arch of her eyebrow and the way she made her voice sound, she seemed actually interested on why he banned serious relationships.

He didn't answer. Instead he raised an eyebrow. "You have a lot of questions about this. I thought your boy here-" he glanced in my direction and smirked. I sent him the worst glare I could possibly conjure. "Told you everything about gangs."

"Yes, but not even he knows why you don't allow serious relationships. I was just wondering why. I mean, I don't see the problem in it, but I just wanted to hear your side. I can understand your reasoning." I don't believe it. Annabeth was playing him.

The boss nodded, pursing his lips. "I see. Hmm, well, I told you. Now let's get down to business."

The hand that was holding my head thrusted the side of my face down onto the pavement. I groaned loudly, knowing that it was going to be bruised. The boss flicked his hand and I was instantly picked up off the ground and thrown against the body of the black van.

"PERCY!" Annabeth screeched.

I crumbled against the gravel; the taste of blood entering my mouth. My ribs were on fire again, but even worse. I could barely breathe. I was hoisted from the ground and then dropped in front of the boss. I watched from the ground as the boss' men grabbed her by the arms and held her in place. They were making her watch. I felt fury bubbling in my veins. I wanted to hurt them for making her watch this.

The boss walked over and slammed the front of his boot into my stomach. I whimpered, knowing that they were definitely broken. He continued to kick me in my ribs. My eyes burned with tears. Blood spurred out of my mouth; my eyesight became blurry. The world was spinning. Annabeth squirmed, but they just tightened their hold. I saw the glint of a sharp blade that happened to be pinned against her neck.

"Annabeth... don't," I said.

Her grey eyes met mine across the lot. "Please, please... STOP IT!" She shouted when they yanked me from the ground roughly and shoved me away, making me collapse against the gravel ground. I winced from the sudden burst of pain in my ribs.

I then realized what was happening. My eyes widened. This moment reminded me of the dream I had two nights ago. I swallowed the lump in my throat as I remember what happened in the end.

I looked up to see the boss staring down at me. "Please. Don't make her..."

"Aww, how sweet is this. You're worried about her. Who knew that the great Percy Jackson had weak spots?" The boss chuckled, throwing another kick to my ribs. I bit my lip to keep myself from screaming out in pain.

I gritted my teeth and breathed out slowly, trying to ease the pain. My eyes met his cold, black ones and there was no emotion in them. I tried to speak but nothing came out. The side of my face buried into the gravel as I watched the boss walk over to Annabeth and took a hold of her himself. He grabbed the knife out of his guard's hand and held it against her cheek. He gave a small flick of his wrist and it drew blood on her cheek. Annabeth stood her ground, but I could tell she was shaking with fear. Her gaze left his and met mine.

I mouthed the words just as I did in the dream. Bad thing was... this is reality. "I'm sorry."

The boss then pushed her into the arms of the guard's again and they held onto her tightly. The boss walked back over to me and knelt down. I met his black irises, determined to not show fear in front of him. I was going to do everything in my power to keep Annabeth safe, and make sure that she got out of this alive.

Even if that meant sacrificing myself.

The boss pushed himself up and walked back over to Annabeth. He took a hold of her chin, forcing her to look him in the eyes. "She is a beauty, Jackson. I love those eyes. They're beautiful."

"Let... go of her," I strained breathing heavily, trying to contain my inner agony. My ribs were on FIRE! Black dots started to fill my vision.

He turned his head in my direction and smirked. "How about one last good-bye? What do you think, Trevor? Shall I allow them one last good-bye?" As he was speaking to his recruit, I scrolled over to Annabeth's face and those stormy grey eyes I loved met mine.

"I love you," I mouthed meaning every word.

She allowed her beautiful smile to appear on her face. I tried to grin back, but my jaw ached. If this would be the last beautiful thing I would ever see, I was glad it was her.

The boss suddenly snapped his fingers. I was grabbed off the ground and was forced to stand. His black eyes stared into mine as he reached inside his coat and pulled out a gun. I continued to stand my ground, showing no weakness. My gaze drifted to Annabeth, who was struggling against the men who held her.

"STOP!" She shouted kicking furiously.

"Shut her up," the boss ordered.

One of the guards placed his hand over her mouth. Bad idea. "OWW!" The guard hissed, cursing loudly. "She freaking bit me!" Atta girl.

The boss held out his hand and the guard that Annabeth bit, threw her over in his arms. He wrapped an arm around her chest, pulling her against him. She tried to break free, but his grip was too tight.

My entire body ached, but I had to get these final words out. "Annabeth, I love you. I love you so much."

She smiled with tears breaking free. "I love you too, Percy. I've always loved you."

It took all the strength in me to show her one last grin.

It went in slow motion just as the dream did.

But instead of going with the dream ending, an idea started to form quickly in my head. The boss lifted the gun, aiming at me. I watched as Annabeth's eyes glanced from the gun to me, back and forth. She must have the same idea as me.

I mouthed, "One."

She copied my actions. "Two."

The boss put his finger on the trigger.

"Three."

Right when the boss was about to shoot, Annabeth pushed herself against him with all her strength as he pushed down on the trigger. I quickly moved to the right and the bullet went into the one of the guys who were holding me. The other one was surprised by the sudden change that it took him a minute to register. Perfect. I slammed my fist against his jaw and shoved my knee into his chest. He crumbled to the ground. I turned around to see Annabeth fighting against the boss. The gun was laying a few feet away from them.

Annabeth blocked an attack and slammed her fist into his nose. The boss roared in anger. "Percy! The gun! Get the gun!"

I followed her orders. I ran over to where the gun laid, despite my broken ribs and slid unto my side, blocking from the boss' try to stop me. Annabeth grabbed his wrist and twisted it. I made a note in my head to never go against Annabeth in a wrestling match. The two of them continued their combat. I picked up the gun and set it, aiming it for the boss. There was only one bullet left and it had to be the perfect shot. He kicked Annabeth's feet from underneath her, making her fall to the ground. The boss was about to do something else, but he never got to it.

Something stopped him.

A gunshot.

**WHAT'D YOU THINK?**

**The fight in the van? The proposal? The ending?**

**Yes, I know the scene is a little different from the dream he had, but I put in some of the scenes that he had dreamt.**

**Poor Percy. He just keeps getting beat up, over and over again. No worries, he'll be just fine :D **

**THE NEXT CHAPTER IS THE END... **

**But it's not the end of their story. **

**I have finalized the plot for the sequel and I think many of you will like it. I'll be posting it in the next chapter since it's the finale. ****See you all next time!**

**-HunterofArtemis32**


	25. The Final Chapter

**Hey everybody!**

**HOLY MOLY! This story got... 1000 REVIEWS! YEEEEEEEP! I think you can tell how happy I am since I'm using caps. **

**Wow. I can't believe this story is ending. Did you know that I published this one year from today? I thought it would be cool to end it on the day it was published. **

**I have something important to say before we get on with the chapter. You guys are amazing! I absolutely have no idea where I would be if it wasn't for your support and all the reviews saying how wonderful this story is. I'm so lucky to have fans like you :) **

**One day, if I ever get a book published, I am putting a shout-out to my fans on FanFiction! If none of you didn't like my story... like I said earlier, I wouldn't know where I would be. I love you all! :D**

**Now, without further ado, I present to you... the final chapter of The Stranger Within.**

**ANNABETH'S POV:**

The gunshot echoed through the air, and the boss collapsed against the ground. Percy was kneeling on his knee a few feet behind him, holding the gun in his right hand. He glanced down at the boss and then back at me. Our eyes met across the lot. My hands were shaking violently as I pushed myself off the ground and walked over to where Percy stood. He threw down the gun.

"Percy..." I mumbled. He stepped closer to me and wrapped his arms around me tightly. Tears streamed down my cheeks as I held him closely.

He was still here. He was still here. Thank God.

"It's all over," Percy whispered in my ear. His voice was raspy; his breath was hot against my skin, and that just made me tighten my hold on him.

I nodded, burying my face into his shoulder. "I-I know. Are you okay?"

"My ribs are- ahhh," he moaned, releasing me and clutching his stomach. I carefully helped him lay down on the ground to see how badly he was hurt. Adrenaline must have rushed through him when our plan was in action.

I lifted his shirt and examined his wounds, seeing the dark bruising. I'm no doctor, but I could easily tell his ribs were broken. I pressed the tip of my index finger against the top of his bruising to see how he would react and Percy winced. I released his shirt and ran my fingers through his hair. He tried to smile, but the side of his face was all bruised up. His bottom lip was busted, his right eye was all black and blue, but I thought he still looked handsome.

"Call 9-1-1. Get an ambulance while you're at it," Percy ordered. I took out of my phone and dialed the number. "I won't be able to walk." He clutched the bottom of my shirt. His head was propped against my torso. Sweat drenched his forehead.

After explaining the short story to the police, they said an ambulance was on their way and we would be taken care of. Percy was shaking violently. I held him in my arms, pressing my cheek against the top of his head. I couldn't lose him. Not now. Not after everything that happened. I kept my hand in his as we waited for the ambulance. Percy buried the side of his face in my shirt, shaking. I didn't stop the tears from shedding. A few minutes later, I heard wails in the distance.

"Annabeth-"

I brushed his bangs out of his face. "Percy, you're gonna be okay."

"I'm sorry about earlier."

I shook my head. "The fight? I've already forgiven you, doofus."

"Good," he said with an attempt of a smile. "Um, Annabeth, about the proposal-"

"What?" I asked wondering if he was taking it back.

"I-"

He was caught off by the ambulance and police arriving. The bright lights from the police cars blinded me and I buried my face in Percy's hair. He gripped my hand tightly. The police walked over and checked the three bodies. Two of them were dead- the boss being one of them, the other was knocked out.

The doctors scrambled out of the back of the ambulance. They asked politely if I could allow them to take Percy out of my arms. I nodded, not trusting my voice. I watched them as they hoisted Percy out of my hold and off the ground, carefully and onto a gurney. The doctors stripped him of his shirt, applying many wires to his chest. The police needed my statement so when I turned to walk towards the police, everything that happened tonight hit me like an erupting volcano.

And I passed out.

**AT THE HOSTIPAL**

My eyes slowly opened and the first thing I saw was a white ceiling. My eyes darted around the room and I could easily recognize that this was a hostipal room. I noticed the familiar figures of my family. Melanie was the only one awake and she sat on the couch, reading an article in the magazine. I saw a cup full of water sitting on my bedside and I reached out, trying to get it.

"Oh, Annabeth!" Melanie gasped. She threw the magazine down and raced over to the edge of the hostipal bed. I was so shocked by her reaction that it took me a minute to recover from the bone-crushing hug she was giving me. "Oh, I'm sorry!"

She handed me the cup of water and after drowning it, I looked around to see if there was a familiar gang leader around. My voice was rough when I spoke. "Where's Percy?"

"He's in the next room," Melanie answered with a smile.

"Thank goodness," I breathed. In the condition I last saw him in, I was so worried about them. I suddenly felt uncomfortable, and I shifted underneath the blankets. My brothers started to stir but they stayed asleep. "So you know what happened?"

"Yes. The police officers told us what you told them over the phone." Melanie sat down on an empty part of the hostipal bed. "How long has this been going on?"

I closed my eyes and re-opened them. "How long has what been going on?"

She looked at me with an expression that read 'you know what I'm talking about'. I raised an eyebrow. "Annabeth, how long have you and Percy been in a relationship?"

"How'd you-"

"The police also said that you two were holding onto each other for dear life," she said and then added a smirk. "Plus, the first thing you said when you woke up is, 'Where's Percy?'"

I glanced down at the sheets. "For a couple of weeks. It started the end of November."

"Why didn't you tell us?"

I lifted my head and looked at her like she was crazy. "Are you kidding? All you guys ever talk about is how much you hate Percy. Do you really think I would tell you that I'm dating him?"

"He hurt you, Annabeth-" Melanie started to protest but I cut her off.

"He's apologized. He's apologized for everything that he has done to me. Percy isn't who you think he is," I told her.

She nodded, but I could tell she was still questioning the situation.

"Melanie, Percy loves me. He wants to-" I took a deep breath before continuing. Should I be telling her this? "He wants to marry me."

She looked shocked. It took her a few seconds to reply. "What?"

"When the boss kidnapped us, Percy proposed."

"Did you answer him?"

"No. I didn't have time because the boss decided to interfere."

Melanie glanced over at my father sleeping on the couch. She asked a question that I've been asking myself. "What do you want to do?"

I looked at my left hand and imagined a ring resting on my finger. After all that happened between us, the good and the bad, I still loved him. There was no one that I wanted to be with. Percy has caused me a great deal amount of pain- making fun of me, not stopping certain rumors from spreading, disappearing on me, and just not being there for me whenever I needed him. However, Percy has brought a lot of happiness into my life. He has always been there.

I know what my answer is.

**PERCY'S POV:**

The light was bright when I woke up and I was not expecting to be tackled into a bear bug the minute I did. My mom cried my name and wrapped me in a hug, burying her head in my chest. I could feel tears on my bare skin. I raised one of my hand and patted her on the back. I winced slightly from her grip. She must have heard me because she instantly let me go and sat next to me, keeping her hand locked in mine.

"Hey mom," I whispered. I could barely recognize my voice. She handed me a cup of water and I took it, passing the cup back to her for more after finishing it. She laughed and answered my request.

I laid my head back down on the pillow, looking at the white ceiling. It was so plain in a hostipal. "Percy, I'm sorry," my mother said in the silence.

I returned my attention back onto her. "What?"

"I should have told you about Paul. Maybe if I told you, this wouldn't have happened or-"

"Mom, it wasn't your fault. The boss had been planning that. He's been tracking our every move. That's the reason we went to North Carolina," I explained running my thumb across her knuckles.

"Honey-"

"It wasn't your fault," I whispered. "Don't blame yourself."

My mom shook her head. "The reason you even went out was because of me."

"Mom, stop!" I begged.

Tears started to appear. "Percy... I'm just so, so sorry."

"I'm not mad anymore."

She shot me a look even with watering eyes. "Yes, you are. You're upset because I didn't tell you."

"How else would you expect me to react? I mean, I just got back from being gone for three weeks and when I come home, you're giggling with some guy!" I looked down at the sheets and swallowed the lump in my throat. I looked back up at her and bit my lip. "Mom... it's been you and me for four years. I was only six years old when Dad died. Ever since then, I took on the role of being 'the man of the house'. And then after Tyson died, I joined the gang to make sure we would be okay."

"Percy, I know there's another reason on why you joined the gang. It wasn't just to make sure we we were okay." My expression must have gave it away. "What's the real reason?"

My eyes locked with hers. "It should have been me."

A tear streamed down her cheek. "What do you mean by that?"

"It should have been me, Mom!" I yelled. She gripped my hand. "I'm the one who sent him out. I'm the one who told him to go! It was supposed to be me to go to the store. It was supposed to be me! Not him!" My ribs started to bother me, but the guilt had returned so I barely acknowledge it.

She stood from where she sat and came over to me, guiding my head to rest against her chest. I started to cry, feeling the exact same way when I told Annabeth. My mom was crying, but she was mostly comforting me. She ran her fingers through my hair, whispering words like she did when I was a child.

"Percy... it wasn't your fault. His death was not your fault," she pressed a kiss to my head and pushed me a little back to look at my face. "I promise you it wasn't your fault."

"It still hurts," I said.

"Of course it does. You've been holding this guilt in since you were fourteen. Yes, it's going to hurt thinking about how he died, but if you keep thinking you're the one that sent him out... it's going to hurt even worse. Percy, I know Tyson does not blame you."

"How do you know?"

She smiled. "Tyson loved you. He looked up to you. You were his hero. I mean, whenever you were with your friends, all he would do was talk about you and how he wanted to be like you someday." She ran her fingers through my hair. "Do you want him to look down at you, and see you being someone you're not, blaming yourself for his death?"

I shook my head, swallowing some sips of water. "No."

"Then let it go. Don't carry the guilt throughout your entire life, Percy, and start a new life. Get out of the gang. Get married. Have kids," my mom added the married part with a smile. I knew what she was hinting at. "And if it ever comes back, just think about the good. Remember the snowball fights and the weird-looking snowmen. Remember playing hide-n-seek with Nico and Thalia. Remember the time you guys got kicked out of the mall when Tyson tried to pee in the fountain."

I laughed, but stopped from the shooting pain in my ribs. "That was embarrassing."

"How do you think I felt? I had to pick him up out of the water."

I rolled my eyes. "He never got to eat cookies from the cookie store from biting the plastic cookie on the billboard."

"I still don't know how he thought that was an actual cookie."

I grinned. "We made tons of memories."

"Indeed you did," she laughed.

The room became silent. Something entered my mind. "Mom, do you like Paul?"

My mom smiled. "He's very sweet and funny. He's a teacher at a local college, and knows how to cook. He actually promised me that he would cook for me next time I came over-"

"So you like him?"

She nodded. "Yes. I haven't been this happy since your father."

I took a deep breath. "How about after I get out of the hostipal, we invite him over for dinner?"

Her face brightened. "Really?"

"Yeah," I said grinning.

My mom shed another tear. "Thank you, Percy."

I reached over and grabbed her hand. "You're welcome, Mom." We shared a hug but the pain started to kick in so I had to pull away. She wiped the tears from her eyes. "Now, is there anyway you can get me some food? I'm hungry."

"Of course you are."

**THE NEXT DAY**

There was a knock on the door and instantly a smile appeared on my face. Annabeth was leaning against the doorframe, wearing jeans and a hoodie- a normal look for her, but she never looked more beautiful. My mom, who happened to be sitting on the couch, stood up from her seat and said she was going to get some snacks. Annabeth walked into the room and sat down on my hostipal bed.

"Hey babe," I said taking her hand hostage.

Annabeth smiled, brushing my bangs out of my face. "Hey. How are you feeling?"

"Eh," I mumbled. "I have medication to help with the pain."

She nodded, her eyes locking with mine. "What'd the doctor say about your ribs?"

"He said I had a few broken ribs and the rest are bruised, and a few minor injuries. I have to take it easy for a little while," I said rubbing my thumb over her knuckles.

"It could have been a lot worse," Annabeth whispered resting a hand on my stomach. I placed mine on top of hers. "I'm just thankful that you're still alive."

I tightened my hold on her other hand. "I was determined to keep you safe." I saw her mouth start to form like she was about to start a sentence, but I beat her to it. "I know, I know. You're not a damsel in distress."

Annabeth laughed. "I even took on the boss."

"I'm scared of you now," I teased winking at her.

She smirked. "You should."

A moment of silence took over the room. "Hey, Perce?"

"Hmm?"

Annabeth bit her lip. "Melanie knows about our relationship. She may be telling my dad at this very moment. Maybe not, but she knows."

I stiffened. "What'd she say?"

"She seemed cautious at first, but I explained to her that you were different and that you apologized for what you done. She took it... well, surprisingly, she took it calmly."

"Wow," was the only word I could say.

"Are you and your mom okay?"

I grinned. "Yeah. We made up. I even suggested we invite Paul over for dinner."

"I'm guessing he's the guy she was on a date with."

I nodded then I realized something unusual. "Is this our first normal conversation?"

"I think it is," Annabeth laughed and squeezed my hand. "Anyway, I got my discharge papers today so I'm going home. I just wanted to come in and check on you."

"I should be out of the hostipal by tomorrow morning," I said.

She smiled. "I'll come by your apartment tomorrow afternoon after school."

"Oh boy!"

Annabeth shrugged. "We have to go back sometime."

"If anyone bothers you, talk to Beckendorf or Nico. They'll make sure no one asks you about the situation or asks about me and you."

"I'll keep that in mind. Rachel's going to kill me from keeping this from her."

"She's not the only one. Imagine all the girl's hearts being broken because you took New York's hottest gang leader," I said quoting some of the lines the girl's say.

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "I'll break it to them easily."

I grinned. She raised an eyebrow and I just shook my head. "Well, take lots of notes for me, Wise Girl. I'm gonna need them," I teased. "I love you."

"I love you too." Annabeth pressed a quick kiss to my lips and I frowned when she pulled away. She just laughed at my expression. "I gotta go, Seaweed Brain." She stood from the bed and walked to the door, but before she left the room, she turned around and looked at me.

"What's on your mind, Anna?"

Annabeth smiled. "Don't forget the ring in your dresser drawer."

And with that, Annabeth walked out of the room, leaving me grinning like an idiot.

**TOMORROW AFTERNOON**

I rubbed my eyes with sleep and slid from underneath the sheets, being careful of my injuries. I have to wear a bandage wrapped around my torso for a few weeks. It was for extra protection. My ribs are badly bruised due to all the kicks and being thrown around by the bosses men. I exited my room to hear chatter coming from the kitchen. I trailed through the hallway and into the living room to see Annabeth sitting at the kitchen table, talking with my mom.

"The zombie lives," Annabeth laughed when she saw me.

I shot her a dirty look. "Did school get out early or somethin'?" I asked glancing at the clock on the TV stand. It was eleven. I ran my fingers through my hair as I entered the kitchen.

"Melanie told me I didn't have to go to school," she answered shrugging. "After everything that happened the other night, she thought I could use an extra day off. I agreed and came over here."

I nodded and not even thinking twice about it, sat down on her lap and took a bite of her toast. She flicked me on the arm. "Wha'?" I inquired with my mouth full of her food. "You're comfy," I muttered grabbing her glass of water and taking a few sips.

"Who gave you permission to eat my food and drink my water?" Annabeth asked with a serious tone.

I took another bite of her toast and smirked. "My house. My food."

My mom just laughed at our behavior. "Percy, get off your girlfriend's lap and stop eating her food."

"But Mommy!" I whined purposely acting like a child to aggravate the both of them.

She shot me a look. "Don't you dare pull that card on me, mister."

"Yes ma'am," I murmured. "I'm still comfy though."

"It's fine, Sally. He barely weighs anything. You need more muscle, Jackson," Annabeth said grasping my bare forearms. I turned my head and she crinkled her nose. "Yeah, not enough biceps."

I snorted. "Who gave you permission to touch me? And by the way, I do have enough muscles. I do weight-lifting with Beck and wrestling with some of the guys."

"Hmm, I have to disagree."

"Oh, shut it, Chase. You're just jealous."

She laughed. "Of what? You being a baby bird?"

I drunk some more of her water. "I'll let you win this argument but only because I'm tired and I'm afraid you're gonna hit me."

"You should be afraid of me, but I'm not going to hit you when you're already injured. I just wait until you're healed," Annabeth laughed when I smacked her on the leg. She rested her head against my back. "Speaking of which, how's the ribs?"

"Fine," I grumbled. The pain was starting to kick in from being asleep for hours. "Mom, where's my medication?"

She pointed to the counter closest to the fridge. "Over there."

I stood from Annabeth's lap and walked over to the counter, grabbing the few pills and opening the fridge, grabbing a Sprite from the top shelf. I threw the pills in my mouth and swallowed them with a few sips of soda. Annabeth stood up from the chair and I followed her into the living room. We sat down on the couch, turning on the TV as we did. She took the blanket off the back of the couch and spread it across our laps. My fingers stayed intertwined with hers as we watched the random TV show. During the commercial, my eyes glanced over at Annabeth and she seemed interested in something else so I took the chance to look at her.

Annabeth was wearing old jeans that were a lighter shade than her others, and a brown colored jacket covering her shirt. She was pulling on the loose thread of the blanket as her grey eyes stayed glued to the television. Her curly blonde hair was pulled into a messy bun with a few strands slipping out of the rubber band. Her tan skin seemed to glow from the sun shining through the kitchen window.

Every girl that I've dated, none of it was real to me. I wasn't dating any of them for the 'experience of love' which Grover calls it, it was mostly for the part. Calypso was the only one I actually considered of us becoming something more, but at that time it was way, way into the future. When I was younger, Annabeth was the only girl who would actually speak to me. I used to get tongue-tied in front of girls. After middle school, it got easier but when I entered high school, I suddenly became a ladie's man. Girls just threw themselves at me and I dated them just because.

Everything changed when Annabeth and I got the project in Math class.

"Percy?" Annabeth's voice broke into my thoughts. I blinked a few times before meeting her eyes. "Were you staring at me?"

I smirked. "No."

"So you decided to zone out on my face?" she asked raising an eyebrow.

I grinned. "Sadly."

"Percy," my mom said interrupting our playful banter. I looked over at her and she was sliding her arms into the sleeves of her jacket. "I have to run to the bank and I'm meeting Paul for a lunch date. I'll probably be back by two. I'm trusting you guys."

"Don't worry, Sally. He doesn't try anything. If he tries to, I'll put him in his place," Annabeth reassured her.

My mom pointed at me. "I'm trusting you. Don't burn down my house. Money's in the cookie jar if you guys want to order something. Love you."

"Love you too!" I called as she went out the door. I heard him lock the deadbolt from the outside and I turned my attention to the TV again.

Annabeth ran her fingers through my hair. "You're such a Mama's boy."

"It's been me and her for years," I said switching to channel to channel. "I'm the only thing she has left."

"Maybe her and this Paul guy will get serious," she nudged me in the shoulder with her elbow.

I glanced in her direction. "Maybe."

Annabeth grabbed the remote that was resting on my thigh and turned the TV's volume up. I lifted an eyebrow at her actions. "Am I being too loud for you?"

"Kind of," she stuck her tongue out.

"Well, I'm so sorry, dearest."

She scowled at me. "I hate pet-names."

"I've called you 'babe' a few times and you didn't seem to mind that," I pointed out.

Annabeth shrugged. "It's not horrible. There are worse names guys can call their girlfriend's."

"Like what?" I asked taking the remote back.

"I'm not saying. You're probably going to use them."

I leaned my head against the back of the couch. "Which ones am I allowed to use?"

"Babe seems to be your favorite," Annabeth sighed and propped her sock-covered feet on the coffee table, crossing her arms across her chest. "There are a few that are sweet with other couples, but most of them are really cheesy or they just seem weird to say."

"Hey sweetie," I said remembering that Grover sometimes calls Juniper that. "Eh, not my type. Uhhh... baby, cutie, love, darling. Hmm, swawty!"

Annabeth laughed so hard she snorted. "Noo!" She said covering her mouth with her hand. "Uh-huh, that's just too weird."

I nodded, agreeing with her. "So, babe wins?"

"Babe wins the terms of endearment contest," she said with a smile.

I must have made a face because she laughed again. "That's a weird contest."

"Well, I'm not your typical girl. Call me baby or cutie and I'll just smack you across the head," Annabeth said fixing the blanket that covered us.

"That sounds like you," I pressed the power button on the remote and the TV screen turned black.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You're independent. You don't like guys flirting with you and whenever they do, you always put them in their place. You're not like other girls," I explained taking a hold of her hand and pressing a small kiss against her knuckles.

Annabeth smiled. "I like being different."

"I like it too," I grinned. Suddenly a thought entered my mind and my grin got wider. Annabeth looked confused. I stood up from the couch carefully and held out my hand. "Can I show you something?"

She bit her lip and slid her hand into mine. "Sure."

We traveled to my bedroom and I told her to stop at the doorway. She raised her eyebrows, but I just shook my head and asked her to close her eyes. She did, and I turned around, heading towards my dresser drawer. I opened it and grabbed the small box from inside. I slid the box open to glance at the ring inside. It was simple yet beautiful. There was a small diamond in the middle with a silver band. It was my mom's.

I walked over to Annabeth and guided her to my bed. We sat down as I fumbled with the box in my hand. She seemed anxious by the way she wiped her hands on her jeans and was messing with the zipper of her jacket. I cleared my throat. She took that as the signal to open her eyes. She gasped when she saw the box in the palm of my hand.

"Percy..." she mumbled.

I locked eyes with hers. "Annabeth Chase, there is no other girl I want to spend the rest of my life with. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?" I asked a grin spreading across my face as the words escaped my mouth.

Annabeth reached over and took the box out of my hand, opening it slowly. She admired the ring inside before looking back up at me and smiling. "Yes."

I leaned over and Annabeth met me in the middle. I raised my hand and cupped the side of her face, kissing her again. She smiled against my lips. We pulled away and I rested my forehead on hers. I pulled on one of the curls that escaped her bun.

"I love you," I whispered meaning every word.

Annabeth smiled. "I love you too."

And with that, we kissed once more before returning to the living room and turning on a movie. We sat with our hands intertwined and I moved her hand a little bit to see her ring glint in the sunlight.

**THIRD'S PERSON POV:**

Santiago stood at the desk, tons of photos laying before him. He capped the red marker again and laid it back on the surface. He sat down and twirled the gun in his hands before laying it down. He was staring at the pictures of the murder scene. The boss lying dead on the ground.

Santiago growled and stood up, grabbing the gun and shoving it into its holder. He shut the small table lamp off and turned to walk out of the room. He grabbed the item the guard was holding and looked at the photo. It was a picture of Percy Jackson; the next target.

"Thanks," Santiago grumbled passing by the guard and trailing down the hallway.

The guard grunted in response. Santiago looked at the photo once more before crumbling it underneath his strong grip. He was not happy. Fury boiled in his veins.

Santiago wanted revenge.

He wanted revenge on Percy Jackson.

_**TO BE CONTINUED...**_

**IN THE SEQUEL: **

**Lovely Vengeance:**

**Eight months after the events in The Stranger Within, Percy and Annabeth decide to get married. Everything seems to get even better when Annabeth realizes she's pregnant. However, Santiago, who wants revenge, is planning an attack against the former gang leader for eliminating the boss. And when he finds out about the pregnancy, he adds a new target: Annabeth.**

**SOOOOOOOO... what do you think? Does it sound interesting? Boring? **

**Was the ending something you expected or did it surprise you?**

**A BIG THANK YOU to my mom who gave me the title for this story and ideas for some chapters. Another thank you to my wonderful fans who have supported me throughout this story and others! I love you all! :D**

**NEWS: The sequel will be out in the new year :) A Troubled Boy with Green Eyes is still on hold on, but I'm going to try my best to write the last two chapters and finish it. There may be another new story coming out after Green Eyes is finished. **

**I'm thinking about re-writing Pain. What do you think about that?**

**Well, ladies and gentlemen... I hope you enjoyed the last chapter of The Stranger Within.**

**-HunterofArtemis32**


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